So Close
by LoveIsAllYouNeed828
Summary: Claire listens to her father's phone conversations for weeks before she hears what she's been waiting for. PAIRE AU Spoilers: If you haven't seen any of Season 2, steer clear! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**_WOW! So I owe you all a HUGE apology. _**

**_I promised to post a new fanfic like, over a month ago. I suck, I know. _**

**_Let me explain!  
So, the Boston Red Sox are my favorite baseball team. As many of you know, they won the World Series this year. My AMAZING boyfriend surprised me with tickets to every game of the ALCS, AND all four games of the World Series. I KNOW! AMAZING, right?! _**

So after I got back from that extended trip, I came down with the flu. FUN FUN FUN FUN! It had me sick in bed for a week. 

**_THEN, I got a phone call from my sister saying that she needed me really badly, so I had to fly out to see her. She's a recovering alcoholic, and had a severe relapse, resulting in me having to check her into rehab. I stayed with her for a week and a half. Good news, she's out of rehab, and seems to be doing fine. _**

**_So now that you know WAY more about my life than you ever needed or wanted to know, I have GREAT news!_**

**_During all this crap, I was able to write a lot! YAY frequent updates! So, without further delay, I present my newest story. Read and review, lovers! _**

**_I'm beginning this story in a different manner than I ususally do, and I'm hoping that it won't require any explaining. Let me know if it's confusing to anyone._**

* * *

Claire listened in on her father's phone conversations for weeks, desperately trying to figure out what he was up to. 

He had promised her no more secrets, but she knew he was hiding something.

The most she could determine was that he was speaking to a professor, and that they were speaking about people with abilities.

Then one night, her dad got careless. He had his cell on speakerphone, and the door to his office was ajar.

A British sounding voice was rattling off names and locations of people with abilities, and when he was finished, he made an excited declaration. "There's one more thing. I've found Peter Petrelli."

Claire had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out.

Her father was quiet for a second. "Where is he?"

"Ireland. A place called Cork. The Company is most anxious to capture him."

Noah sighed heavily. "We have to make sure that doesn't happen. How long before they send you to get him?"

The man on the other end sighed. "I can most likely stall them for another week. When I get there, I'll have to warn him. Then, I guess, I'll just tell the Company that he escaped. Are you going to tell your daughter? I know she and Peter were close…"

Noah cut him off. "No. I'm trying to help Claire have a normal life. That's not going to happen if she finds out Peter Petrelli is alive."

Anger burned within Claire as she heard her father say goodbye to the professor.

She climbed the stairs to her room two at a time, closing and locking the door behind her.

She pulled a duffle bag out of her closet and shoved a few days of clothes into it.

Rooting through her underwear drawer, she found her fake passport, and a wad of cash.

She shoved them into the pocket of her jeans, and opened the bedroom window.

* * *

The plane ride to Ireland seemed like an eternity. 

Even worse, as she climbed into an Irish taxi and asked the driver to take her to Cork, she had no idea _where_ in Cork Peter was.

The cab driver grunted. "I need a specific destination, lady."

She bit her lip. "I…I'm trying to find someone, but I don't know where to look."

The cabbie turned around in his seat a little. "If you're lookin' for someone in Cork, there's only one person to ask. She runs a pub with her brothers, knows everyone. If your friend has so much as taken a breath in Cork, she'll know 'em."

Claire gave him her biggest smile. "Could you take me to her?"

* * *

Claire stepped into the noisy pub and looked around. 

She spotted a pretty young Irish girl flitting from table to table, refilling beer mugs and chatting up the customers.

As she walked further into the dimly lit room, most of the men in the room turned to stare. A particularly rude group of men whistled.

The Irish girl looked up and cocked an eyebrow at the pretty blonde, who stood in the middle of the room looking lost.

Her blue jeans, low-cut shirt, and thin jacket made it obvious she wasn't used to the chilly Ireland air.

"Can I help ya?"

Claire smiled timidly. "Uh, yeah. I'm looking for someone, and I was told a woman named Caitlin might be able to help me find him."

The girl smiled and motioned for Claire to follow her to the counter. "You're in luck. I'm Caitlin."

Claire's face lit up.

Caitlin put her hands on her hips. "Can I get ya a drink? Beer is half-price on Tuesdays."

Claire shook her head. "Just a water, please."

Caitlin nodded and filled a glass with water. "Now, who can I help ya find? Judgin' by your voice, I'm guessin' he's American."

Claire nodded. "He's about five foot nine, dark brown hair, brown eyes. His mouth curves down a little…"

Caitlin froze.

"His name is Peter Petrelli."

Caitlin dropped the beer mug she had been cleaning, and it shattered on the floor.

A door behind the bar opened. "Caitlin? You okay? I heard a crash…"

Claire gasped. "Peter?"

* * *

**_HAHA! I'm evil, I know. Want more? REVIEW!_**


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Claire played with the hem of her shirt, glancing over at Peter, who was talking to an angry-looking Caitlin in hushed tones. 

Finally, Caitlin threw up her hands and stormed off to wipe some tables.

Peter pulled something out from under the counter, and as he approached Claire's table, she saw that it was a box.

He sat the box on the table, clearing his throat. "So…Caitlin tells me you know me."

Claire nodded. "And she tells me you lost you memory."

Now it was Peter's turn to nod.

Claire bit her lip. "Can…Can I hug you?"

Peter smiled slightly. "Okay."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. It felt like coming home.

Peter slid his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. He felt her tremble as tears began to slide down her cheeks.

He sighed, wiping her tears with his hand. "Don't cry."

Claire tried to laugh it off. "I'm sorry. It's just…I've really missed you."

The way she was looking at him, eyes shining. The way she was clinging to him, like she never wanted to let him go. It made Peter wonder who she had been in his life.

He cleared his throat, and Claire reluctantly released him.

He motioned for her to have a seat, and sat down across from her.

He slid the box across the table. "This is everything they found on me. I don't know what's in there; I haven't had the guts to open it."

Claire ran her fingers over the intricately carved box, and then lifted her eyes to Peter's face. "You…You want _me_ to open it?"

Peter nodded slowly. "Look, I don't remember you, but since you came all this way to find me, I think we must have been close."

Claire nodded. "We were."

Peter placed one of his hands on top of hers, which was resting on top of the box. "So I want you to be the one that opens it. Please."

He squeezed her hand lightly, and then removed his hand from hers.

Claire swallowed thickly, and opened the box.

* * *

The first item she pulled out was a piece of paper.

There was a New York address scrawled on it, and Claire recognized it as being that of Peter's apartment.

Next was a Petrelli family photo. Angela, Nathan, Heidi, Simon, Monty, Peter, and an older man Claire didn't recognize, but guessed must have been Peter's father.

Next was a computer disk. Written across the disk with a black marker was a name. "Claire Bennet."

Claire raised her eyebrows, and moved on to the final item; an envelope with Peter's name on it.

She cleared her throat and slid the items across the table to him.

She pointed to the address. "This is where you live in New York."

He nodded solemnly, as she moved on to the picture. "This is your family. Your dad, your mom, your brother, your sister-in-law, your nephews. I'll write down their names for you later."

Peter nodded, moving his gaze to the computer disk. "Who's Claire Bennet?"

She smiled, and it was the saddest smile he'd ever seen.

Or, at least the saddest smile he'd seen since he'd lost his memory.

It was even sadder than Caitlin's.

"I'm Claire Bennet."

He smiled that crooked smile of his, and Claire's heart melted. "Claire…A pretty name. It suits you."

She bowed her head, cheeks flushing a little. She handed him the final item, the envelope. "And that's it. I guess you're supposed to read it."

He handed her the disk. "Then maybe this is for you."

He stood up, slipping the envelope into his pants pocket. "I'll read this later. Listen, I need to help Caitlin clean up. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Claire felt disappointed.

She had missed him so much, and now he'd rather help another girl clean up the bar then talk to her. "Yeah, I'll come back in the morning."

He smiled warmly at her, and her heart fluttered.

She stood up, and he let her hug him again.

As he started to walk away, she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. _I love you, Peter._

Peter stopped suddenly, and turned to face her.

He swallowed a few times, and then decided the best thing to do was pretend he hadn't heard the young woman's thoughts.

* * *

Claire batted her eyelashes at the guy behind the front desk at her bed and breakfast, and he let her use the hotel computer to find out what was on the disk with her name on it.

When she inserted the disk into the computer, the hotel guy pointed to the screen. "It says that the only thing on here is a two minute video."

Claire nodded. "Okay. Can you play it?"

He nodded, and with a few clicks of his mouse, a video of Peter popped up onscreen.

"Claire, if you're watching this, I'm dead. We couldn't stop the explosion, and I didn't survive.

There are a few things I need to tell you.

First, give Nathan a chance. As cold as he might act towards you, he loves you very much. More than he'll ever admit.

My mother is right. After the explosion, the city is going to need him. And he, in turn, is going to need you.

Be his conscience, help him. That was always my job, but I guess I'm passing it on to you now.

Lastly, I love you Claire.

Call it sick, call it immoral, but I do.

I've loved you since the second you slammed into me in the hallway of Union Wells High.

Forgive me for not having the guts to tell you while I was alive.

Don't put your life on hold because of this, Claire. Finish school, get married, have kids…

Just never forget to fight for what's right. Fight for those who can't fight for themselves. I love you."

* * *

She was openly weeping as the video ended, and the hotel desk clerk stood awkwardly to the side.

"Are…Are you okay?"

She took the disk out of the computer, and shoved it in her purse. "I've gotta go."

With that, she ran out the door.

* * *

**_I know, it was short. But I wanted to add another quick update since I made all my faithful readers wait so long for this story._**

**_My next update is much longer, and should shock a few people._**

**_Review, lovely readers!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Alright everybody, sorry for the delay. I've come down with some sort of flu, and today is the first day I was able to get out of bed. _**

**_Anywho, this chapter is short, but if I get enough lovely reviews, (nudge-nudge, wink-wink) I promise to update tomorrow. Deal? Okay. That said, read on!_**

* * *

It was after 1 A.M. when Claire pounded on the door of the tavern.

"Peter? It's Claire; I need to talk to you. Peter?"

She knocked for a few more minutes, before sliding down to the ground, her back against the door. She put her head in her hands, sighing.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Claire jerked her head up to see a group of older men standing in front of her.

One of them turned to the others, grinning. "Didn't know we were taking in strays."

Claire swallowed, getting to her feet. "Look, I don't want any trouble."

The same man who had just spoken stepped towards her. "And she's a Yank! Oh, this is almost too good to be true, isn't it boys?"

He grabbed her arm, and she felt it bruising, though she knew the abrasions would instantly heal.

Claire tried to wrench her arm free. "Let go of my arm. Please, I just wanted to talk to Peter."

The man raised his eyebrows. "And I wanna be rich and have my missing shipment of ipod's back. Sometimes life isn't fair, is it?"

Claire fought against him, and he shoved her towards the others. "No! STOP IT!"

One of them ripped her jacket, and she screamed.

All of the sudden, the men went flying into the wall.

Claire gasped, and whirled to see Peter standing in the doorway.

"Get away from her, Rick." he growled.

The guy that Peter had just called Rick smiled sheepishly. "Oh, _that _Peter? Didn't know you wanted to talk to _him_."

Peter jerked his head towards the tavern. "Get outta here."

They stumbled over themselves to get inside, slamming the door behind them.

Peter walked over to where she was crumpled on the ground, pulling her to her feet.

"Are you okay? What are you doing here? I thought I said we'd talk in the morning."

Looking into his eyes, Claire couldn't breathe.

The combination of what he had said on the computer disk, and rescuing her from the scary Irish dudes who she had been deathly afraid of, had knocked the wind right out of her.

Before she could rationalize her actions, she was kissing him.

Full-on kissing him.

For a second it was like Peter was frozen.

His lips were still against hers, and he didn't make any move to touch her.

But when she wrapped her arms around his neck, and tangled her fingers in the short hair at the nape of his neck, he melted.

His lips moved with hers, and his tongue was the first to delve into the wet heaven of the other's mouth.

He slid his fingers through her blonde curls, and then his hands were on her hips, sliding slowly up her ribcage.

He had her pressed against the wall, and as his hands slid under the thin material of her shirt, she gasped.

Peter pulled away quickly.

He looked at her for a second, and then pressed his forehead against hers. "What am I doing? I don't even know you."

Claire cupped his face in her hands. "But I know you, Peter."

He kissed her softly on the lips. "Who am I?"

She ran her fingertips over his face, memorizing the way it felt under her hands. "You're kind, caring, selfless, the most amazing person I've ever met."

He studied her face for a few seconds. "We were together? You were my girlfriend?"

Claire swallowed, looking away. "We were in love with eachother, but things were…complicated. There was something in our way."

He nodded, tilting his head to the side. "Is it still in the way?"

She nodded. "But not here. Not now."

He smiled that crooked smile of his. "You're not going to tell me _what _was in our way?"

She shook her head. "It would make things complicated again."

He sighed, removing his warm hands from her body. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

He saw the hurt flash across Claire's face, and he flinched. "It's not that it didn't feel good. It did. It felt right. Like I was supposed to be kissing you. It's just…Caitlin and I…"

Claire's face fell. "You're with Caitlin."

He nodded. "Yeah, kinda. Not officially or anything, but I don't think I should be kissing another girl."

Claire nodded. "No, it's fine. I get it. I should go."

As she turned to walk away, Peter grabbed her wrist. "Wait, how are you getting back to your hotel?"

Claire shrugged. "Walking, I guess."

He shook his head. "Not in this neighborhood at this hour. Not alone. Come on, I'll walk you back."

Claire smiled at him, and he shook his head. "Could I ever resist that smile?"

She shook her head. "No one can."

* * *

**_I know, I know. TOO SHORT! Want more? REVIEW! _**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Okay, so thanks for all the reviews! You guys are seriously the best readers in the history of ever._**

**_I know the last chapter was short, so I've made up for it with this one. It's the longest chapter I've posted so far!_**

**_So, as always, read and review!!!!_**

* * *

As they walked into the lobby of her bed and breakfast, the desk clerk looked up.

"Hey, it's the guy from the video."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "What video?"

Claire waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

He followed her down the hallway, and watched as she unlocked the door to her room.

She stepped inside, turned on a light, and returned to the door. "Thanks for walking me home."

He nodded. "I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'll be at the tavern after breakfast."

He nodded, and then leaned in, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Goodnight."

She closed the door, and walked over to her bed, dropping onto it heavily.

She kicked off her shoes, and yanked off her jacket, frowning at the rip in the sleeve, courtesy of the burly Irishman.

Tossing the jacket on a nearby chair, she was rummaging through her bag for her pajamas when there was a sharp knock on her door.

Figuring it was the desk clerk checking on her, she didn't bother to look through the peephole.

When she opened the door, her mouth dropped open. "Peter? What…"

She was cut off by his mouth slamming into hers roughly.

Her head banged back into the door, and she gasped.

Peter kissed her furiously, as she backed into the room.

He kicked the door shut behind them, and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up until her legs wrapped around his waist.

She ran her hands across his chest, to the top button on his shirt. Her hands shook as she unbuttoned his shirt, and then slid her hands across the newly exposed skin.

He trembled at her hands pressed against his skin, and laid her carefully on the bed.

Discarding his shirt, he undid the button and zipper of her jeans, tugging them off and tossing them to the side.

He kicked off his shoes, and then removed his own jeans, joining her on the bed.

He leaned down, his mouth devouring hers again.

She sat up and yanked her shirt off before moving to lie on top of him.

He groaned at the feel of her bare legs tangled up with his own, and moved his mouth to her neck.

Claire had always wanted to know what it would feel like to have Peter make love to her.

Now it appeared she would get her wish.

* * *

Claire awakened to an empty bed.

She sat up quickly, and was relieved to see Peter standing by the window. "Peter?"

He turned to her, smiling. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

She ran a hand through her messy hair. "It's okay."

She patted the bed beside her, and he walked over to sit down.

She leaned in and kissed him sweetly as he rested his hand on her neck. "Last night was amazing."

She blushed, nodding.

He brushed his thumb across one of her reddening cheeks. "Was it our first time?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah. Yeah it was."

He smiled. "I'm glad. I would've felt horrible if I couldn't remember our first time."

She lowered her head, clutching the thin sheet around her naked body. "Peter, what about Caitlin?"

He bit his lip, turning towards the window again.

"We never actually decided we were together. I don't know. But I do know that even though I don't remember my past with you, I want to have a future with you."

Claire's head shot up, and she had to fight to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Oh, Peter…" her voice came out in a whisper.

He turned to look at her again. "Claire, the second I met you at the tavern, I felt this connection with you. I don't know how to explain it, but when I saw you, I knew you were someone important."

Claire nodded slowly. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

She cleared her throat. "Um, I should take a shower, get dressed."

Peter nodded. "I need to go have a talk with Caitlin. I'll meet you back here in an hour or so?"

Claire nodded, and he kissed her forehead before getting up and walking to the door.

As the door shut behind him, Claire put her head in her hands. _Oh, God. What have I done?_

She walked over to her bag, fished her cell phone out, and dialed a familiar number.

It rang a few times before it was answered.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me."

Claire bit her lip. "Look, don't hang up Nathan. I…I have something to tell you."

There was silence for a second before she heard Nathan sigh heavily. "What is it, Claire?"

She took a deep breath. "Peter's alive."

* * *

The tavern was empty when Peter walked in, but Caitlin was behind the counter.

She looked up, but frowned when she saw Peter. "You didn't come back last night. Rick said he saw you walk off with that blonde that came in and made you open the box."

Peter sighed, sitting on one of the stools at the counter. "She didn't make me open it, Caitlin. I just decided I couldn't run from the contents of a box anymore."

She crossed her arms over his chest. "But you're not denying that you walked off into the night with her. Did you sleep with her?"

Peter sighed and looked down at his hands, but didn't say anything.

Caitlin threw a glass against the wall, smashing it into tiny pieces. "You did. You slept with some girl you don't even know."

Peter stood up, the stool scraping loudly across the floor. "I do know her. Caitlin, the second I laid eyes on her, I knew she was someone that had been important to me. I can't explain it, but there was just a connection. Besides, she knows me. She knows who I am, she knows my family…"

Caitlin leaned on the bar, head in her hands.

"And what about us, Peter? What about our connection? You kissed me. Told me that you liked who you are now, and didn't want to know what was in the box. Then some pretty American comes waltzing in, smiles at ya, and not only did she get you to open the box, but you're sleepin' with her."

Peter scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Caitlin. I didn't mean to hurt you. But if there's a chance that I can get my memory back, that I can get my life back, then I need to take it. If I don't, Claire leaves, and I spend the rest of my life wondering who I really am."

Caitlin nodded slowly. "Good luck, Peter. Have a nice life."

With that, she stormed into a back room, slamming the door behind her.

Peter sighed heavily, grabbed his jacket, and walked out into the chilly morning air.

* * *

**_Alright, you know what to do! Click that little button down there, and REVIEW! Maybe if I get lots of spiffy reviews I'll post again later!_**

**_I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story. This is only my third Heroes fanfic, and the third story I've ever let anyone besides my boyfriend read, so any constructive criticism is welcome! _**


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Claire opened the door wordlessly when Peter knocked.

As she shut the door behind him, she cleared her throat. "Your brother is coming."

Peter's eyes widened. "M-My brother?"

She nodded, sitting down on the bed. "His name is Nathan. He's a little rough around the edges, but he really loves you. Loves his family."

She looked down at her hands, which she was twisting in her lap. "Look, when he gets here, we can't be together."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Why not?"

Claire bit her lip. "He…Well, let's just say Nathan wouldn't approve of our relationship."

Peter sat down beside her. "Is that what you meant when you said that we were in love with eachother, but things were complicated? That something was in our way?"

Claire shrugged. "Sort of. It's just really hard to explain, Peter."

He leaned in, kissing her softly on the mouth. "I don't care. I can't ignore something that feels so right. Let my brother think and feel what he wants."

Claire shook her head. "You don't understand."

It was quiet for a few minutes, and then Peter cleared his throat. "What if we kept it a secret? What if we didn't tell my brother?"

Claire lifted her eyes to his. "You would do that?"

He nodded. "In a heartbeat. Would you?"

Claire lowered her head, and then nodded slowly. She lowered her head to rest on Peter's shoulder.

It was silent again, and then a mischievous smile spread across Peter's face. "So how long before my brother gets here?"

Claire glanced over at the digital clock on the nightstand. "In about six hours. He was getting on the first flight he could find."

Peter nodded, and then stood up, lifting Claire up into his arms as she squealed. "Peter, what the hell are you doing?"

He carried her into the bathroom, and turned on the shower.

He sat her down on the edge of the tub, and began to undress her.

She smacked at his hands. "Peter, I already took a shower."

He silenced her with a kiss. "But I didn't. Keep me company?"

His eyes sparkled darkly, and the meaning behind his words was clear.

She couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face.

* * *

Claire played nervously with a lock of her hair as she and Peter sat in a bustling restaurant, waiting for Nathan to arrive. 

He had called to say that his plane landed, and Peter suggested a restaurant where they could meet.

Claire looked over at Peter, who was staring down into his cup of coffee, biting his lip.

He was nervous.

More nervous than she was, and she was _damn _nervous.

It had been months since she had seen Nathan, and her stomach was in knots.

But Peter…Poor Peter.

Here he was meeting the older brother he couldn't remember, and he was simply staring silently into a cup of really crappy coffee.

She wished she had some words of comfort to give him.

She reached over and squeezed his hand under the table, hoping to make him feel more at ease.

"So his name is Nathan, right?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah. He's really excited to see you."

Peter nodded, smiling at her. "I'll be fine."

She raised an eyebrow, and he leaned in, kissing her forehead. "I promise. I'll be fine."

She returned his smile, and then looked up as the bell over the door jingled.

The imposing figure of Nathan Petrelli filled the doorway, and Claire swallowed thickly.

His eyes scanned the room, and his face lit up when he spotted his brother and daughter sitting in a corner booth.

Nathan pulled Peter into a crushing embrace as soon as he reached them. "God, Pete. You have no idea how much I love you."

Claire couldn't help the lump that was forming in her throat.

When Nathan released Peter, his gaze moved to Claire.

She smiled nervously, and stepped forward.

Nathan pulled Claire to him tightly, burying his face in her hair. "Claire. God, I love you."

The words ripped through her like a bullet.

She pulled away quickly. "You _love me_? Nathan, I've tried calling you almost fifty times in the last few months. You wouldn't even _talk _to me until I told you I knew where Peter was."

Nathan held up his hands. "Look, Claire. I'm not telling you that I'm the perfect guy. I'm a man, and we know that no one is perfect."

It was a response befitting of a politician, and Claire couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, whatever Nathan."

She turned to Peter. "I'm going to be outside. Talk to him as long as you want."

* * *

Peter emerged from the restaurant fifteen minutes later, and sat down next to Claire on the bench. 

"You okay?"

She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, and shrugged. "Not really. Your brother isn't my favorite person."

He nodded slowly. "He doesn't seem like he's very nice to you. He was going on and on about how much he missed me, but I couldn't tell if there was any sincerity behind his words."

He looked down at his feet. "He uh…He told me some other interesting things."

Claire's heart was in her throat. "Like what?"

Peter reached out, clasping her hand. "He told me about our abilities, Claire."

A wave of relief swept over her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's kind of a hard thing to try to explain."

He nodded, a smile gracing his handsome features. "Nathan said you should tell me how we met. Said it was an interesting story."

She ducked her head, a light blush staining her cheeks. "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

Peter's head jerked up, and Claire saw a strange look steal across his face.

"Peter?"

He was quiet for a minute. "I just had a flash. A memory flash."

Claire's eyes widened. "Really? What did you see?"

There was enthusiasm written all over his face as he squeezed her hand. "You and me. We were sitting in a room with glass windows. Looked sort of like a jail cell. You said 'You're totally my hero.'"

Claire grinned from ear to ear, and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Peter!"

He held her tightly, smiling. "Thank you Claire. In the last few weeks, I haven't had any flashes, no déjà vu…Then you show up, and… You're helping me to remember."

He pulled back a little, and he kissed her.

It was a deep, feeling kiss that took her breath away, and she pressed her body as tightly against his as possible.

A sharp intake of breath from behind them caused Claire to pull away and look up. "Nathan…"

* * *

**_DUN DUN DUN! Uh oh... _**

Want more? Then keep those reviews coming! 


	6. Chapter 6

Nathan grabbed her wrist, yanking her to her feet. "Claire, I need to talk to you."

He pulled her into a nearby alleyway. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

Claire couldn't hide the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Nathan. I love him. And he loves me."

Nathan shook his head. "You're supposed to love eachother Claire, you're uncle and niece. But what you two were just doing is incest. It's sick. I understand Peter saved your life, and that you two have a strong emotional connection. But Peter doesn't remember anything, and you taking advantage of that is cruel."

Claire was openly weeping by this point. "He told me he loved me, Nathan. He recorded a message in case he didn't make it, and he told me he was in love with me. I couldn't help it. I'd loved him since the moment he threw himself off the building for me, and hearing him say he felt the same way…It was overwhelming. I reacted, I'm sorry."

The tears streaming down her face were causing her makeup to smear, and her eyes were red and puffy.

She looked so little, and so lost.

Nathan's heart ached for the daughter he barely knew, whose heart had been broken so many times in the last year.

"Claire…" He struggled with what he should say.

"I'm sorry, I know it must be difficult. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after the explosion. I don't always know how to express my feelings, and I felt _so _guilty Claire. God, _SO _guilty."

He pulled her to his chest, holding her as she cried.

"I love him so much, Nathan. But I don't want to lie to him anymore. He had a memory flash a few minutes ago. If he gets his memory back, I don't want him to think I tried to screw up his life."

Nathan was quiet for a second. "I love him too, Claire. We'll tell him the truth, and let him make his own decision. If he still wants to be with you…"

Claire's head shot up. "You'd let us…"

Nathan shrugged. "It would creep me out, and you'd have to hide it from everyone else, but I love you both too much to ruin your lives anymore."

Claire wiped her tears, and nodded solemnly. "Let me tell him, okay?"

Nathan nodded. "I'll be at my hotel. Call me later, tell me what he decides."

Claire tried to smile.

"I love you, Claire. Really, I do."

He kissed her forehead, and Claire nodded. "I love you too."

Nathan followed her out of the alley, and with a wave to Peter, he hailed a taxi.

Claire reclaimed her seat next to Peter on the park bench.

"Are you okay? You've been crying…" Peter reached out, wiping a lingering tear away.

She bit her lip. "I need to tell you something. Something important. Can we go back to the bed and breakfast? I'm cold."

Peter nodded. "Of course. Let's go."

* * *

Peter and Claire sat across from eachother on the bed.

Their legs were crossed underneath of them, and Claire clasped Peter's hands.

"When I tell you what I'm about to tell you, you might be angry. Well, strike that, you'll definitely be angry."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Claire, what are you talking about?"

She lowered her head, unable to look him in the eyes. "You know how I said that we loved eachother, but something was in our way?"

Peter shrugged. "Yeah. You said it had something to do with my brother…"

She nodded. "It has a _lot _to do with your brother."

She bit her lip, and then blurted it out. "Peter, I'm Nathan's daughter."

She looked up, and confusion was written all over Peter's face.

"But that would mean that you're my…"

Claire nodded. "Your niece."

He pulled his hands free of hers, and stood up. "My…Oh, God. Claire! Oh, God!"

He slammed his fist into the wall. "How could you hide something like that from me?!"

Tears were rolling down her cheeks again, and Peter had to fight the urge to wipe them away.

"I'm sorry Peter. I'm _so _sorry. I didn't know how to tell you. And then the disk that was in the box… You recorded a message before the explosion. You told me that you were in love with me, and that you were sorry you didn't have the guts to tell me. I couldn't breathe. You were telling me everything I'd wanted to hear since the moment I met you. That was when I came back to the tavern, and I kissed you. I never intended for things to go so far."

Peter rested his head against the wall and sighed. "Oh, Claire…"

She stood up and walked over to him, but didn't touch him. "I should've told you Peter. I'm sorry."

He nodded "Yeah, you should have. What did Nathan say to you?

Claire lowered her eyes to the floor. "He was pissed, of course. But…But in the end, he said even though it was wrong, and totally creeped him out, he would leave the decision up to you."

She was surprised when Peter reached out and lifted her chin. "Look at me."

Her eyes locked with his, and the spark that had always been there was burning brighter than ever.

"I need to think about this, okay? I think I need to go talk to my brother, but I'll be back."

He leaned down, and brushed his lips across hers in a feather-light kiss.

With that, he walked out the door, leaving a sobbing Claire to crumple to the floor.

* * *

**_Did I surprise you? Well, the next chapter gets veeeeeeeerrrrrrryyyyyyyy interesting! Review, and I shall update tomorrow!_**

**_ MUCH love to those of you who review! I really do read every one of your reviews, and get so much inspiration and feedback from them. Thank you!!!!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Nathan opened the door to his hotel room, surprised to see his brother standing there.

"Pete? Come in."

Peter walked past his brother into the hotel room, looking around.

It was a lot nicer than Claire's little room at the bed and breakfast, but it didn't surprise him. From what Claire had said, he knew his family was rather wealthy.

Nathan motioned for him to have a seat on the sofa. "Would you like something to eat, drink?"

Peter shook his head. "No thanks. I just have some questions to ask you. About before the explosion."

Nathan nodded. "I'll do my best to answer them."

Peter rubbed a hand over his face. "Was I close with Claire?"

Nathan looked a bit surprised by the question. "Uh...yeah. You two were really close. _Surprisingly _close for the short amount of time you'd known eachother. You were super-protective of her…Did she tell you how you two met?"

Peter shook his head, and Nathan shrugged.

"I thought she might want to tell you, but I guess I will. You had been working as a hospice nurse, taking care of a man named Charles Devaux. You started coming to me and going on these long rambling descriptions of these dreams you were having."

Peter's eyebrows furrowed. "Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "You dreamt you were flying. You said that the dreams were _so _real. I didn't want you to find out about my ability, so I kept giving you the brush-off. I told you that you were mentally ill. Anyway, you went to someone else for help. A doctor named Mohinder Suresh."

Peter nodded. "You told me a little bit about him at the restaurant."

Nathan stood up and went over to the liquor cabinet, but then thought better of it. He wanted to try to stay clean.

"You were taking him to see a friend of yours, a guy who could paint the future. You told me that you were on the subway when all of the sudden, everything and everyone around you stopped moving."

Peter leaned forward, confusion written on his face.

"This guy, Hiro Nakamura, is a time traveler, and he came to you. He told you to 'Save the cheerleader, save the world.'"

Peter nodded. "Claire mentioned that phrase. What cheerleader? And why did I have to save her to save the world?"

Nathan smirked. "You always were impatient. The cheerleader was Claire, though you didn't know it yet."

Peter's mouth fell open. "Claire?"

Nathan nodded. "Through a couple of paintings that your artist friend did, you found out that whatever you needed to save her from was going to happen at her high school Homecoming in Odessa, Texas. So you flew down there, in a plane, and you saved her from a lunatic who was killing people for their powers. Sylar."

Peter's head jerked up, and his eyes took on a faraway look.

After a few seconds, he swallowed thickly. "I just had another flash. I was running through a hallway with Claire… Sorry, continue your story."

Nathan shrugged. "The guy chased you to the top of a building, and there was a struggle. You both went over the edge. But you absorbed Claire's abilities, and you healed…mostly. Claire went to try to find help, and the police came. Sylar had killed another cheerleader, thinking it was Claire. The police saw you covered in blood and arrested you. I had to come all the way down to Texas to bail you out. You collapsed when we were walking out of the police station. We flew you back to a hospital in New York. "

Peter smirked. "Sorry."

Nathan shrugged. "You got better, but then you were talking about _another _dream. A dream where you exploded. That's another long story… You went to try to find Dr. Suresh again a couple of weeks later, and Sylar attacked you at Suresh's apartment. He killed you, Pete. Lodged a shard of glass in your brain. Suresh brought you to my house, and Mom called me to tell me what had happened. I'd never been so scared in my life…When I got there, surprise surprise, my long-lost illegitimate daughter was there too. Claire asked to say goodbye…God, I'll never forget the look on her face as she knelt down beside you. She looked so sad, so scared. Ma and I let her have a minute alone with you, and the next thing I knew I saw you sit up and start coughing. She saved you. She pulled the shard of glass out of your brain so you could heal. You wiped her tears, hugged her for a long time. Not once did you ever mention your feelings for her, though. I guess because of the way we all would've reacted."

Peter nodded, standing up. "I guess. Is there more?"

Nathan nodded. "More about the explosion dream, but I've had enough of being a storyteller. Ask Claire if you want to know more."

Peter bit his lip. "What do I do, Nathan? I want to be with her more than anything, but she's my niece. It's wrong, it's disgusting… But oh, God. I look at her and I just want to…"

Nathan threw up his hands. "AGH! Don't say it! That's my daughter you're talking about, Peter."

Peter lowered his head. "What am I going to do, Nathan?"

* * *

Peter walked along the water, the cold air nipping at him. 

He needed to think.

He had fallen almost head over heels for Claire the second he saw her sitting at the counter at the tavern.

_He emerged from the back room when he heard Caitlin drop a glass, and was almost immediately distracted by the pretty blonde at the counter._

_She looked up and gasped. "Peter?" _

_His mouth fell open. _

_Caitlin turned to him, a frightened look on her face. "Peter, could ya go wait over there for me for a minute? I need to talk the lady here." _

_He acquiesced, leaving the two women to talk. _

_That didn't mean he wasn't watching them, though. _

_Caitlin was making lots of hand motions, and kept shaking her head._

_The look on the pretty stranger's face was pleading and sad. _

_Finally, Caitlin nodded slowly, and made her way over to him. _

_"What was that all about?"_

_Caitlin tossed a look over her shoulder at the girl, who was now sitting down at a table. "She says she knows you." _

_Peter's eyebrows shot up. "She does? That's great! Now I can find out who I am!"_

_Caitlin shook her head. "I don't think that's such a great idea, Peter. What if she's lyin'? Or even if she's not, you just got finished telling me that you don't want to know who ya are." _

_Peter put his hands on her shoulders. "Caitlin…This isn't going to change how I feel about you, okay? But if this girl knows me, knows my family, knows my friends… I have to at least talk to her, okay?" _

_Caitlin threw up her hands. "Fine. Go talk with little Ms. Supermodel over there." _

_Peter walked over to the bar, and pulled out the box. _

_If ever there was a time to open it, it was now._

Peter shoved his hands into his pockets, and his eyebrows furrowed as he felt something there.

He pulled out an envelope with his name on it.

It was the envelope that had been in the box!

He'd forgotten to read it…

Looking around, he spotted a bench and sat down.

Ripping open the envelope, he was greeted with a letter written in obviously feminine writing.

_**My dearest Peter,**_

_**How I wish that I was not writing this letter!**_

_**Please believe me when I tell you I'm sorry for the way things turned out. **_

_**It was never the desire of your father and I that one of our beloved sons would have to pay the ultimate price.**_

_**But the time has come, my son. Nathan is about to become a congressman, and he cannot be involved in this situation. **_

_**And it seems that it comes at a most convenient time, as I have watched your relationship with Claire grow into something nearly incestuous.**_

_**Yes, I know that you are an honorable man, but the way your eyes follow her whenever she is in the room, the way you always manage to sit next to her at meals, the way that when you hug her, you clutch her into your chest like you never want to let her go…**_

_**You have fallen head-over-heels for this girl, and it is completely unacceptable. **__**Worse than that, is that Nathan and I both know that she has the same feelings for you. **_

_**It will be excruciatingly painful for her after you are gone, but thankfully, Nathan and I will be here to pick up the pieces. **_

_**Fulfill your destiny, Peter. **_

_**Die for New York, the world, and the ones you love. **__**And know that we all love you dearly.**_

_**You are in my prayers.**_

_**-Mother**_

Peter folded the letter, and slid it back into the envelope.

His own mother…

Claire had mentioned that his mother wasn't the most wonderful person in the world, but this letter was downright unfeeling.

His mother had said she was sorry that he was going to die, but that it was necessary.

Balling up the letter, envelope and all, he threw it as hard and as far as he could.

It landed some two hundred feet away, and floated on the surface for a moment before disintegrating.

His mother had known about he and Claire.

And she had told him his dying was convenient…

At that moment, he wanted to go fuck Claire just out of spite.

But the letter had also revealed something else.

He had truly, deeply loved Claire before the explosion.

It was what he had been the most curious about since she'd told him she was his niece.

He had been plagued with doubt, wondering if the feelings he had developed for Claire in the past week were a fluke. His imagination, because she was the first person he'd met who knew who he was.

But after talking to Nathan and reading his mother's letter, all his doubts were gone.

He started to run, one destination in mind.

* * *

Claire was huddled under a blanket on the bed when she heard the door open. 

Her heart leaped as Peter sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hi."

He smiled slightly, brushing her hair away from her face. "Hi."

With that, he was kissing her.

As he slowly removed her clothes, Claire cried tears of joy.

He knew the truth now, and he still wanted to be with her.

"Peter, I love you."

He paused from where he was kissing his way down her neck, and lifted his head to look at her.

He was silent for a second, and then moved his lips back to hers.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Peter awakened to a naked Claire curled into him, her face buried in his chest. 

He pressed kisses to her forehead, cheek, mouth, neck and shoulder.

Claire stirred, opened her eyes, and smiled. "Hell of a way to wake up."

Peter grinned. "Tell me about it."

She rolled on top of him, and kissed him sweetly.

"Promise me you'll never leave me, Claire. Promise me."

She tilted her head to the side. "With sex like we had last night? What, are you kidding?"

Peter grinned, but then his face grew serious. "I'm not kidding, Claire. Promise me."

She lowered her head to his chest. "I promise, Peter. I promise."

He swallowed thickly. "I had a dream last night…"

Claire sat up slowly. "Oh, God…"

* * *

**_Told ya things would get interesting! Review, if you please!_**

**_That was my longest chapter yet, and I hope it wasn't confusing to anyone. What with the flashback and the letter and all._**

**_I wanted to take a second and thank ya'll again for the reviews! I have 53 right now, and I've only posted 6 chapters. (Well, 7 now, but I haven't gotten reviews for this one yet.) I only had 60 total reviews for my last story which was (I think) 12 chapters. So it's really awesome to be getting so much positive feedback!_**

**_Someone left me a review saying that Nathan's reaction was a bit unrealistic. I completely understand this viewpoint, and agree with it._**

**_Unfortunately, this situation hasn't presented itself on the show, and so for the sake of my story, I chose to have Nathan react the way he did. Nathan's decision will be discussed further in the next chapter._**

**_Thanks again, ya'll! Much Love!_**


	8. Chapter 8

Claire and Peter slid into a booth in a small coffee shop.

The eager waitress bounced up to them with a million-watt smile on her face. "Well hullo there! What can I get for ya? Some mouth-watering pastries maybe? What about some hot tea?"

Claire smiled. "Coffee for me please. Peter?"

Peter seemed distracted. "Uh…Coffee is good for me too."

The waitress grinned at him. "Is that all, sweetheart? Nothin' else?"

Claire looked up at the waitress, incredulous.

Was she hitting on him?

"No thanks. Claire, do you want anything else?"

Claire shrugged. "Do you have bacon and eggs?"

The waitress cocked an eyebrow. "Of course we do."

Claire nearly snorted. "I'll have a plate of bacon and eggs."

The waitress jotted it down on her notepad. "Fine. Back in a flash with your drinks."

She winked at Peter who simply went back to staring at his hands.

Claire smacked him lightly in the arm as the waitress walked away.

"Ouch. What was that for?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "That Irish chick is totally flirting with you. Geez, I can't take you anywhere!"

Peter chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. You know I only have eyes for you."

Claire felt her heart flutter, and couldn't help the grin spreading over her face. "Sooo cheesy…"

As their waitress approached again, Peter grinned at Claire, and then kissed her.

Before she had time to react, his tongue was in her mouth, his hands grasping her waist firmly.

Fireworks shot off in her head as he deepened the kiss, pressing her back against the wall.

Their waitress gasped as she reached their table, and then cleared her throat.

Peter grinned against Claire's lips, but waited a few more seconds before breaking the kiss.

Claire gaped at him as he turned to their waitress.

"Thanks. I think that's all we need for now."

The waitress looked disgusted. "Let me know if there's anything else you'll be needin'."

Peter nodded, and the girl walked away, shaking her head and muttering about 'damn Americans'.

Claire clutched onto Peter's arm as she laughed. "Jesus, Peter. Warn a girl before you kiss her like that."

She dug into her bacon and eggs as Peter sipped his coffee. "So tell me about this dream you had last night."

Peter's eyes took on a faraway look. "It was strange. You and I were walking down a street, and suddenly you crumpled to the ground. I tried to pull you up to your feet, but I couldn't lift you. Then you were gone, and I was alone."

Claire's forehead crinkled. "Well, fear not, I won't get too fat for you to lift me."

Peter sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm not kidding, Claire. I woke up so scared that you were gone…It took me almost two hours to fall back to sleep, and even then I kept waking up to make sure you were still there."

Claire reached out, clasping his hand. "I'm right here, Peter."

He tried to smile. "I know. I'm sure it was nothing. Just a dream."

He squeezed her hand, but Claire sighed heavily. "Your dreams are never _just _dreams, Peter. You dreamt you could fly before you did, you dreamt you exploded before you did…"

She pushed her food around her plate with her fork, still firmly clasping Peter's hand in her other hand.

Peter bit his lip, and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I think it's time to go home. Maybe this Dr. Suresh guy Nathan told me about can help me figure out my dreams."

Claire's face lit up. "Really?"

He smiled and nodded. "Maybe we could stop and see your family before we head back to New York."

Claire cleared her throat. "Uh…That might not be the greatest idea. See, my family didn't know that I was coming to find you…I kinda snuck out of the house without saying anything to anyone."

Peter smirked. "Naughty girl, aren't you?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You have no idea. But seriously, Peter. I don't really want to go back to my family."

He nodded. "Okay. Then we'll head straight for New York. I can't _wait _to see my mother's face."

* * *

Peter adjusted his airplane pillow, trying to get comfortable.

Claire dozed peacefully to his right, and Nathan was reading the newspaper on his left.

Nathan smirked when he saw Peter fidgeting. "Trouble sleeping, Pete?"

Peter nodded. "I think I'm anxious about going back. Or maybe it's because Claire keeps kicking my shin in her sleep."

Nathan chuckled. "I'll switch seats with you, if you want."

Peter shook his head vehemently. "No. I have to be with her at all times."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up. "You'd be one seat away from her, Peter. And why do you have to be with her at all times?"

Peter sighed, dropping the pillow into his lap. "I'm having another dream. It's hard to explain, but something happens to Claire. She disappears, and I'm wandering around yelling her name, but I can't find her. I think something's going to happen to her."

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Nathan sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Shit. You and your dreams, Peter. Well, we'll just have to be really careful with her. Keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't go anywhere by herself, that kind of thing. You two are going to have to be really careful with your relationship. You're both adults and can make your own decisions, but I'm still not okay with this. And everyone else in the family will be even _less _okay with it."

Peter nodded. "I know. It's not something I would've chosen, Nathan. Being in love with my niece isn't something I could have foreseen. But I can't help the way I feel, and I can't _not _be with her. It would kill me."

Nathan nodded. "Get some sleep, Pete. I'll watch over Claire."

Peter smiled, resuming his battle with the pillow. "Thanks, Nathan."

Nathan sighed as his brother turned towards Claire, so that their heads were inches apart and went to sleep.

This was going to be a very interesting homecoming.

* * *

**_So I know it was a bit shorter than the last chapter, but I wanted to update before I go on vacation for Christmas! Woohoo for skiing! _**

**_Merry Christmas, everyone!_**

**_God Bless through the holidays, and hey, drop me a review!_**


	9. Chapter 9

Spring had come to New York, and Claire was grateful.

After a week of the chilly Ireland weather, she was ready for temperatures above forty degrees.

They decided that until they could get in touch with the rest of the family, they would crash at Peter's apartment.

Nathan unlocked the door, and tossed an apologetic smile over his shoulder. "Sorry it's a bit of a mess. I left in a hurry."

Claire wrinkled her nose at the empty liquor bottles and pizza boxes scattered around the living room. "You were living here?"

Nathan nodded, beginning to stuff the trash into a garbage bag. "Yeah. After I woke up in the hospital, I sank into a deep depression. Started drinking pretty heavily…"

He held up several empty bottles of vodka. "Heidi kicked me out, told me to straighten myself out or she would divorce me. That didn't do much to improve my outlook on life, needless to say."

Peter's heart wrenched for his brother.

Claire grabbed another garbage bag, and helped him finish the clean-up while Peter looked around the apartment.

He glanced at the framed photos on the mantle.

There was a copy of the family photo that had been in 'the box', a couple of photos of he and Nathan, and a photo of himself with two people he didn't recognize.

An older man in a wheelchair, and a beautiful woman who had her arm wrapped around Peter's shoulders.

His forehead wrinkled, trying to remember anything about them that he could.

Nathan walked up behind him, and noticed him staring quite intently at the photo. "Charles Devaux, and that was his daughter Simone. Both gone now. You dated Simone for a little while."

Peter's eyebrows shot up. "I did? I can't remember anything about her… But I guess that's not saying much considering that I can't remember much of anything."

He turned away from the pictures to see Claire struggling to drag the garbage bags out the door.

He chuckled. "They probably weigh more than you do, Claire. Let me help."

She smiled gratefully as he picked up the bags with ease.

Nathan called after him. "Dumpster out behind the building."

Claire walked over to the fridge, and opened it. "It's empty. You were drinking all that alcohol on an empty stomach?"

Nathan smirked. "No. Didn't you see the pizza boxes?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "We need food."

Nathan nodded. "Why don't you and Peter go grocery shopping?"

He pulled a few bills out of his wallet. "I'll see if I can get in touch with my mother."

Claire nodded, taking the money from him. "Good luck."

She walked down the stairs to the bottom floor, and out the front door.

She walked around back where Nathan had said the dumpster was, but there was no sign of Peter.

"Peter?"

She looked around, and was about to go back inside when an unseen force pinned her against the wall.

"LET GO OF ME!" she screeched, fighting the invisible force.

"Shhhhh, I'm not goin' to hurt you, little lady."

She stopped screaming, but continued to struggle. "Who are you?"

She heard a harsh laugh. "I'm Claude Raines. I'm the invisible man."

* * *

Claire blinked rapidly. "In…Invisible? You're like Peter, then."

Again, the rough bark of a laugh. "No, Peter's like me. That nifty little gift of his? Got it from me. How quickly they forget…"

Claire looked around, but there was no one walking past whom she could signal for help. "Look, I'm kinda creeped out talking to air. Any way you could make yourself visible?"

Claude grunted. "I could, but I won't. Last time I did that, I got shot with a tranquilizer."

Claire trembled. "Fine. Look, Peter's just inside the building. I can get him if you need to talk with him."

He tightened his grip on her wrist. "What makes you think I came for Peter?"

Claire swallowed thickly. "Well, you don't know me, and you said Peter got his power of invisibility from you."

Claude chuckled. "Not a dim bulb, are ya? Good. I'm glad the whelp found a smart gal this time."

Claire was curious in spite of herself. "How do you know I'm his girlfriend?"

Claude loosened his grip on her wrist a little. "Watched you two walk into the building with that ass of a brother of his. Peter had his arm around your waist, and he was smiling. That last girlfriend of his was always hung up on another guy. You seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders. You didn't even flinch when I told you I was 'the invisible man'. Most girls would've run screamin' the other way."

Claire shook her wrist, trying to get him to release it. "Yeah, well I've heard my fair share of strange things in the past year and a half. Now, do you want to talk to Peter or not?"

Claude grunted. "Yeah. But bring him out here. I don't want that brother of his around."

Claire wrenched her arm free, and darted for the front door of the building.

Halfway up the stairs to Peter's apartment, she slammed into him.

"Claire! Thank God, where were you?"

She was trembling. "Out back. There's someone here to talk to you."

Peter's eyebrows shot up. "Who is it?"

She swallowed. "Someone named Claude. He says he's the invisible man."

* * *

Peter walked outside clutching Claire's hand tightly. "Claude?" 

Claude grabbed Peter's arm, jerking them into the alley. "Not so loud, mate. Well, I see you finally cut that hideous hair of yours."

Claire pouted. "I _liked _his hair."

Peter bit his lip. "Look, I'm sorry but I don't know who you are."

Claude was silent for a second. "What's he talking about, blondie?"

Claire squeezed Peter's hand. "He lost his memory. We're not sure when or how it happened, but he doesn't really remember much. Someone screwed with his memory."

Claude groaned. "Damn Haitian. Sounds like The Company got to you. Damn it, I was hoping for your help."

Peter looked back and forth between Claire and the 'Invisible' man, who he could somehow see. "The Company? What's that?"

Claude groaned. "Guess you don't remember anything about them either."

Claire held up her hands. "Wait, are you telling me that the Haitian did this to Peter? I don't believe that. The Haitian has only ever tried to help _me_."

Claude snorted. "Well good for you. Look sweetheart, maybe he helped you, but he's as dirty as they come. And he's the only one that I've ever met who could take someone's memory away so completely."

Peter looked up. "He didn't take it _completely_. I have memory flashes a lot. Nothing big or important, but I have them."

Claude sighed. "Well, you're no good to me if you can't remember anythin'."

He turned towards Claire, though she couldn't see him. "Listen, blondie. If he gets his memory back, contact me. Take out an ad in the New York Times' classifieds. 'Mentor wanted for amnesiac boy.' I'll know it's you, and I'll get in touch. See you 'round, Peter."

With that, there was the distinct sound of footsteps walking away, and Peter and Claire were alone again.

Claire rubbed a hand over her forehead, grimacing.

Peter reached out, squeezing her arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Just a headache."

Peter nodded, and scratched the back of his head. "Who was that guy?"

Claire shrugged. "Beats me. He seemed to know you pretty well, though. We should ask Nathan, maybe he'll know."

* * *

When Peter and Claire reentered the apartment a short time later, grocery bags in hand, Nathan was having a heated conversation with someone on the phone. 

"No, I'm not going to do that. No. That's not your decision!"

He looked up, spotting Peter and Claire standing in the doorway with curious expressions on their faces.

"Look, they just walked in. I'll call you later."

He clicked his phone shut, and turned to them with a forced smile. "I see you got the groceries. Hope you got some good stuff, because those airplane dinners never sat too well with me."

Peter nodded. "Claire bought half of the store, most of which could put us in a diabetic coma, but still…"

Claire sat her bags down on the counter. "Who were you talking to, Nathan?"

He sat down on the sofa, rubbing his eyes. "My wonderful mother."

Peter's head jerked up. "You talked to our mom? What did she say?"

Nathan stretched out on the sofa, putting his feet up. "She wants to see the three of us tomorrow. Apparently she's been living with Heidi and the kids since I left. Heidi took the kids to our summerhouse in Maine for the weekend. Anyway, Ma says that she wants us to come for dinner tomorrow night. She already told me she wants Claire to move into the house, that it's not appropriate for her to be living here. I have to admit, I think it might not be that bad of an idea."

"No!" Peter and Claire cried in unison.

Peter put an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I won't let it happen, sweetheart. Nathan, Claire's not moving in with that woman. I won't allow it."

Nathan stood up. "Listen to me, Pete. If you want to keep Ma from finding out that you're bedding your niece, you need to keep up appearances. If that means Claire staying with mom, then maybe you should consider it."

Claire started to cry. "But how can I be with him if we can't show affection around Angela?"

Nathan crossed his arms. "Look, I know I told you two I'd respect your decision, but this is going to be harder than you imagined. Ma has a nose for sniffing out scandals. Have you even thought this out? What you're doing is not just immoral, it's illegal. You could be arrested if someone finds out about this. Not to mention seeing you two hold hands and gaze adoringly into eachother's eyes makes me feel gross."

Peter shook his head. "I don't understand you, Nathan. You tell us to make our own decision, that you've hurt the two of us too much to stand in the way of something that could make us happy. What made you do such a turnaround? Wait…She got to you, didn't she? Our mother got to you."

Nathan's eyes flashed. "Peter, I ruined your life. I basically killed you because I wouldn't do anything when you begged me for help. I let you explode! I'm telling you as your brother and as a friend, this relationship will only lead to heartache for everyone involved. Claire can move in with mom. Maybe the separation will put some emotional distance between you."

Peter walked to the door, throwing it open. "Get out, Nathan."

Nathan sighed. "Peter, don't be so overdramatic."

Peter shook his head. "Get out. Now. And tell Mom that Claire and I won't be joining you for dinner tomorrow."

Nathan acquiesced, closing the door behind him.

Peter wrapped his arms around Claire as she cried, burying his face in her hair. "Shh, it's okay. Nothing is going to happen, I promise. No one is going to tear us apart."

Claire clung to him like a life preserver, and he kissed her mouth softly.

"I can't lose you, Claire. I won't, you're all I have."

* * *

Peter cradled Claire in his arms that night as she slept. 

He lay awake for hours, smoothing her hair and gliding his fingertips across her silky skin.

When he finally drifted off to sleep, he had the dream again.

_Claire giggled as she grabbed his hand and began to run._

_"Come on, Peter. Run faster!" _

_He laughed as they ran down an empty street. _

_Suddenly, Claire crumpled to the ground, forcing him to a stop._

_He chuckled. "Very funny, Claire. Get up. Claire, cut it out."_

_His smile faded when she still didn't move. "Claire?"_

_He knelt down beside her, and rolled her over onto her back._

_Her eyes were closed, and he began to tremble. "Claire? Open your eyes. Come on, open your eyes." _

_When she didn't, he slid his arms under her, and tried to lift her._

_But it was as if she were glued to the sidewalk._

_He struggled to lift her a few more times, and then she was gone. _

_Disappeared into the air like a puff of smoke._

_He looked around, desperate. "CLAIRE!" _

_His screams echoed through the empty streets._

His eyes flew open, his breathing coming in short spurts.

Claire was still curled up in his arms, breathing steadily.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and tightened his arms around her.

He lay awake for the rest of the night.

Something was about to happen, he could feel it.

* * *

**_So thanks for being so patient with me in waiting for this chapter. I got back from Christmas vacation to a pile of work waiting for me. On top of that, I'm beginning to lose faith in this story. At this point, I have some clue as to where I'm going with it, but little time to write._**

**_So in essence, I'll continue the story, but there may be longer breaks between chapters._**

**_I hope you'll stick with me! _**

**_On the upside, I've begun a new story that I'm head-over-heels for, and will have a new Paire story to post when this one is completed._**

**_Hope everyone's holidays were great!_**

**_Review, lovely readers, and I promise to try and get another chapter written by next weekend._**

**_(P.S., who else is psyched that Milo and Hayden are finally a confirmed couple?! The hand-holding pics made me go "AWWWWWWWWWW!")_**


	10. Chapter 10

When Claire emerged from the shower, Peter was sitting on the sofa, newspaper spread out in front of him.

She pulled her towel a little tighter around her body, and walked over to him. "What are you doing?"

He didn't look up. "Looking at the Want Ads. I figure if I'm going to keep this apartment and support the two of us, I need to get a job."

She sighed, sitting down on the arm of the sofa. "I could get a job, too. I could waitress, or something."

He glanced up, and his eyes widened as he took in her barely-clothed appearance. "Something tells me that I'm not going to be able to concentrate on the newspaper anymore."

He tossed it aside, and pulled her onto his lap.

She chuckled. "Sorry, wasn't trying to distract you. So what do you think about me getting a job too?"

He sighed, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "I don't know. I have this terrible feeling that something's going to happen to you, Claire."

She chewed her lip. "Sylar is dead. He died the night you exploded, and I don't know of anyone else that could be a danger to me. Your dream could mean nothing, Peter."

He nodded. "I know…"

She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Come on, Peter…"

He sighed. "Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful?"

She grinned. "I will."

* * *

Peter had found a job at a nursing home. Somehow, he remembered every bit of his nursing training.

Claire found a job as a waitress at a small café in Manhattan, and loved it.

Her bright smile and bubbly personality made her popular with the customers.

She'd been working for close to three weeks, when one of the other waitresses approached her.

"There's a man here who asked to be seated in your section. Table 4."

Claire smiled, assuming it was Peter coming to surprise her. "Thanks Rachael."

She straightened her apron, and hurried over to the table that the waitress had designated.

But it wasn't Peter. The man looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't place his face.

She pulled her notepad out of her apron pocket, and smiled brightly at him. "Good morning, sir. I'm Claire, I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

He smiled faintly. "I'd like a cup of hot lemon tea, please."

Claire nodded, but there was a niggling thought in the back of her mind.

She recognized the man's voice.

She returned to his table a few minutes later with the tea. "Now, are you ready to order?"

He nodded. "I'd like the vegetable omelet. No onions, please."

As she jotted down the order, her eyes widened.

She recognized the voice.

Her mind flashed back to months ago when she overheard her father's phone conversation.

"_There's one more thing. I've found Peter Petrelli." _

_She had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. _

_Her father was quiet for a second. "Where is he?" _

_"Ireland. A place called Cork. The Company is most anxious to capture him."_

_Noah sighed heavily. "We have to make sure that doesn't happen. How long before they send you to get him?" _

_The man on the other end sighed. "I can most likely stall them for another week. When I get there, I'll have to warn him. Then, I guess, I'll just tell the Company that he escaped. Are you going to tell your daughter? I know she and Peter were close…"_

She swallowed thickly.

This man worked for her father.

She had to assume that it wasn't a coincidence that he was at _this _café in New York, and had asked to be seated in_ her _section.

She nodded, giving him a nervous smile. "I'll be right back with your breakfast. Just holler if you need anything else, okay?"

She hurried back to the kitchen and gave the chef the order, and then leaned against the wall.

Her breath was coming in short, nervous spurts, and her hands were shaking. _What do I do?_

She glanced over at the coat rack where employees hung their belongings, and spotted her purse.

Her purse, which contained her cell phone.

She hurriedly grabbed the purse, pulled out her phone, and snuck out into the back alley.

She dialed the number she knew by heart, and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

"It's me. Peter, I think I'm in trouble."

She could hear the fear in his voice when he answered her. "I'm on my way. What kind of danger?"

Claire glanced around her before answering. "A guy that works for my dad just came in and asked to be seated in my section. It just seemed too coincidental. I don't know what it means, or why he's here, but I'm scared. I know my dad wouldn't hurt me, but I think he sent him to take me back. I don't want to go back, Peter. My dad has lied to me and hurt me so many times…"

The door swung open behind her and she jumped, but it was just the chef.

"Claire, your order is up."

She smiled. "Thanks, Steve. Peter, I have to go. Just get here soon, okay?"

"I will."

She clicked her phone shut, and walked back into the kitchen.

She picked up the plate containing the man's omelet, and walked back into the dining area.

The man was reading a notebook and sipping his tea, and he smiled as she approached. "Thank you very much."

She sat the omelet down and smiled. "You're very welcome. Enjoy, and let me know if there's anything else you need."

She walked off to wipe some tables, but was startled when the front door banged open.

Peter stood in the doorway, a frightened look on his face, and looked around.

He relaxed a bit when he saw Claire.

He hurried over to her. "Where is he?"

She gestured towards the man sitting at the corner table.

Peter's eyes widened and he let out a gasp. "Professor Suresh."

Claire slid her hand into his. "How do you know that?"

Peter shrugged. "I just knew it was him as soon as I saw his face. He works for your father? You're sure?"

She nodded vigorously. "I'd recognize the voice anywhere."

* * *

Mohinder Suresh watched Claire as she walked away.

She picked up a rag, and began wiping tables carefully.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the front door was suddenly thrown open.

He nearly choked on his forkful of omelet when he saw Peter Petrelli standing in the doorway.

Peter hurried over to Claire, and they had a conversation in hushed tones.

At one point, Peter turned to look at him, and he pretended to be studying his notebook.

When he looked up again a few seconds later, what he saw surprised him.

Peter had pulled the young woman into an intimate embrace, burying his face in her neck and pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

If he didn't know the two were related, he would almost think that they were…

Then Peter was kissing her.

Mohinder couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.

Claire was kissing her uncle.

Peter had his hands on his niece's ass.

His mind whirled with questions, but one thing was for sure.

He had to call Noah immediately.

Dropping more than enough money on the table to cover the bill, he grabbed his coat and notebook, and darted out the door.

Once he was a few blocks away from the café, he pulled out his cell phone.

He dialed the number and waited as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Bennet, I've found Claire. But there's a serious problem."

* * *

**_Alright, party people. Including this one, I wrote two chapters this week. So I'm pretty damn happy with myself! I got lots of positive feedback with y'all telling me that you would stick with me, even if I needed to take a break from the story. _**

**_I'll tell you this much; I am NOT abandoning this story! I have a renewed interest in this story based on the two chapters I wrote. So, while you may only get one chapter each week, I hope to still be able to update frequently. _**

**_So, that said, review!_**

**_I need something to cheer me up after the Cowboys loss to the Giants..._**

**_ (Don't worry Tony Romo, I still love you!)_**


	11. Chapter 11

For the rest of the week, Claire and Peter were extra careful.

They looked over their shoulders when they walked, they closed the blinds in Peter's apartment, they ordered take out.

Peter would walk Claire to work each day, and would work out his schedule so that he could walk her home, too.

Secretly, Claire liked having the extra time with him.

One day, Claire walked into the café, and her boss waved her over.

"Claire, we just hired a new waitress to replace Rachael while she's on maternity leave."

A pretty blonde girl smiled at Claire. "It's great to meet you. I hope you can show me the ropes, I'm sooooo nervous!"

Claire nodded, smiling. "I'll help as much as I can. I'm Claire, by the way."

The girl shook her hand, the bright smile never leaving her face. "I'm Elle."

* * *

Claire and Elle developed a quick friendship. 

They talked about clothes, movies, and life in general.

It was during one of their conversations over their lunch break that Elle disclosed her secret.

"I never fit in anywhere. I have this…thing."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "An affinity for being alone?"

Elle giggled, and shook her head.

"No." She bit her lip. "Can you keep a secret, Claire?"

Claire nodded. "I'm _really _good at keeping secrets."

Elle leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I can do something, something _unnatural._"

Claire's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Looking around the kitchen to make sure no one was watching, Elle held out her hand.

A ball of blue energy crackled in her palm, and then disappeared when she closed her fist.

Claire's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God…"

Elle's eyes were pleading. "Please don't tell anyone! I lost my last job because my boss found out I was a 'freak'. I don't even know why I told you that, I guess I just feel like I can trust you."

Claire leaned forward and squeezed her hand. "You can. I have something to tell you, too."

Claire took the knife she had been using to cut her chicken, and jabbed it into her arm.

Elle let out a squeak, but clamped a hand over her mouth.

Claire carefully slid the knife out, and held her arm up for Elle to see.

The wound stitched itself up in seconds, and Claire carefully wiped the bloody knife on a napkin.

Elle shook her head in amazement, and then giggled. "Yours is a lot grosser than mine."

Claire laughed. "Yeah, I think you're right."

As Claire gathered up their lunch trash, Elle pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and sent off a quick text message.

_Almost got her, Daddy. Give me another three days tops, and I'll have her ready for transport._

"Here, Claire. Let me help you with that order…"

* * *

Two days later, Peter walked her to work as usual.

He kissed her goodbye at the front door. "I'll be back at six."

He tucked a strand of hair that had come free of her ponytail behind her ear. "I love you."

She smiled, and waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah."

She kissed him again. "I love you, too."

She winked at him as she disappeared inside the bustling café.

Peter watched through the window for a moment, and one of the other waitresses caught his attention.

Claire had told him about the new waitress her boss had hired, but as he studied her, he couldn't help the sense of déjà vu that came over him.

He glanced at his watch, and cursed as he realized he would be late if he didn't hurry.

He hailed a taxi, an uneasy feeling beginning to take shape in him.

* * *

Elle was cleaning up a spilled drink when she looked up at the front window. 

Through it, she could see Claire engaged in a lip-lock with a mystery guy.

She craned her neck to see who it was, but the man had his back to the window.

She shrugged it off as inconsequential, and hurried to clear one of the tables.

When she glanced up again, Claire was making her way to the kitchen.

But the mystery man was still at the window.

This time, he was looking inside the café, and her heart leapt to her throat when she recognized the face.

The chiseled features, the close-cropped haircut that she herself had given him…

"Peter…"

She swallowed her gum, and nearly dropped the tub of dirty dishes in her hands.

She watched as he glanced down at his watch, and then hurriedly hailed a taxi.

_Peter_ was Claire's boyfriend?

But her dad had told her that he was Claire's _uncle_. So what was wrong with this picture?

She slammed a glass into the now-overflowing tub of dishes, and walked back to the kitchen, nearly slamming into Claire.

She plastered on a fake smile. "Your boyfriend is _gorgeous._"

Claire blushed. "I know, right? And he loves me so much… Hey, we need to find you a man, huh?"

Elle proceeded into the kitchen and sat the dishes in the sink.

Ducking out into the back alley, she pulled her cell phone out of her apron pocket.

"Daddy? What the hell is going on? Peter Petrelli was just here, _making out _with Claire!"

* * *

Claire and Elle closed the café that night. 

Their boss had given them permission to close early, and Claire realized she had nearly thirty minutes before Peter would arrive.

"Elle, I have to wait for my boyfriend, but you can go. I have the key, and he shouldn't be too much longer."

Elle smiled, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "Oh, okay great. Thanks, Claire."

She waved her fingers. "Toodles!"

Claire went to the kitchen to do a last check on things, and spotted a dirty pan still sitting in the sink.

She groaned, but washed it anyway. Frank would get angry if there were dirty dishes in the sink when he came in the next day.

As she was putting the pan in the cabinet where it belonged, she heard a noise from behind her, and whirled around.

Elle stood in the doorway.

Claire placed a hand to her chest. "God, Elle! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Elle smirked. "Sorry, Claire. Really, I am."

Claire shrugged. "It's okay. Did you forget something?"

Elle walked towards her. "As a matter of fact, I did."

With that, she shot a bolt of electricity from her hand that slammed Claire into the nearest wall.

When Claire hit the floor, she could feel the bones in her back were broken.

She looked up. "Elle? What the hell are you…"

She shut her up with another blast of electricity. "Just what I was told to do."

She walked over to where Claire was crumpled on the ground. "I'm not really that sorry about this, you know. Peter was mine. He belonged to _me_. Besides, you two being together is creepy and gross. Nighty-night, Claire."

She jabbed a needle into the back of Claire's neck.

Claire whimpered, and then her world went black.

* * *

**_Review, lovely readers! _**

**_By the way, I'm now officially boycotting the Superbowl. I can't stand the Patriots, I can't stand the Giants, so No Superbowl For Me. _**

**_Wanna cheer me up? Leave me a lovely review! _**

**_I hit 100 reviews this week, which made me a very happy woman!_**

**_BIG surprises in store in the next chapter._**

**_Want me to update sooner? You know what to do._**


	12. Chapter 12

The person taking the next shift after Peter's at the nursing home was late, and so he was fifteen minutes late getting to the café where Claire worked.

As he approached the front door, he saw that the 'closed' sign was hanging on the door, and that all the lights were out.

He tried the door handle, but it was locked.

Frowning, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Claire's.

It rang, and then went to her voicemail. "It's Claire, but I can't come to the phone. Leave me a message!"

He checked his watch again. "Claire, it's me. I'm out front, where are you?"

He clicked his phone shut, and then decided to try the back door.

To his surprise, he found it unlocked. "Claire?"

He entered the kitchen and looked around. There were broken dishes and a cracked and splintered cabinet lying on the floor.

His heart beat faster. "CLAIRE!"

He threw open the kitchen door, and walked around the dark, empty café, but no Claire.

As he was about to reenter the kitchen, he heard the crunch of someone's shoes on the shattered dishes, and froze.

The person was muttering to himself. "What the hell…"

Peter closed his eyes, and tapped into his power of invisibility.

He quietly pushed the kitchen door open, and snuck up behind the figure.

Then, he grabbed the man by the throat and shoved him into the nearest wall.

The man gasped, partly in shock, partly because Peter was cutting off his air supply.

Making himself visible, Peter flipped the light switch.

It was Mohinder Suresh.

"What the hell are you doing here? Where's Claire?"

Mohinder struggled against Peter's grip on his throat. "I don't know where she is. I was sent here to get her, and this is what I found. Please, Peter. I can't breathe!"

Peter released his hold on the man, and he gasped for air. "What happened here?"

Peter kicked at the broken dishes with the toe of his boot. "I don't know. I came to walk Claire home, and this is what I found. What do you mean you were sent here to get her? By whom?"

Mohinder bit his lip. "Her father. He's been looking for her since she ran away a couple of months ago. We knew she was in Ireland with you, but when you came back, we lost track of you for a while. Your brother used a credit card under a company name, making the ticket purchases hard to track. We had an operative here in New York who happened to spot the two of you a few weeks ago, and I was sent to retrieve Claire."

Peter's jaw tightened. "I saw you when you were here last week. Claire recognized your voice, and called me."

Mohinder nodded. "I knew you had recognized me, and I was surprised. The Company report I was given said that you had amnesia."

Peter nodded. "I do. For some reason when I saw you, I knew who you were. Wait, did you say The Company? You work for them?!"

Mohinder's eyes widened. "You remember them?"

Peter shook his head. "No. But someone mentioned them to me…Are _they _after Claire?"

Mohinder looked down at the ground, and nodded. "For several reasons. One being that they want to study her healing ability, the other being that they want to get to you. They knew that you and Claire had come back from Ireland together, and that you two were close. I don't think they realized _how _close."

Peter couldn't have missed the disapproving look the professor gave him as he continued. "Claire's father sent me to get her, to keep her safe from The Company. But it appears I was too late."

Peter's eyes were wide with fear. "What do I do? I have to get her back, Mohinder!"

Suresh sighed. "This is a most unfortunate situation. I'll contact her father, and wait for his instructions."

Peter grew angry. "Wait? Wait for instructions? They could be doing anything to her right now. Can't you help me get her back? You work for them!"

Mohinder shook his head. "If I were to help you, they would know it was me who had given you information. I can't afford to blow my cover when I still have so much work left to do. I'm sorry, Peter."

He pulled a scrap of paper out of his messenger bag and scribbled a phone number on it. "This is my phone number. Call me in two days, and I should have word from her father. I truly am sorry, Peter."

With that, he walked out the door.

Peter sank to the ground, not caring that there were bits of broken dishes stabbing his legs. "God, what do I do?"

Head in hands, he sat there for a few moments.

Then, his head jerked up. "Claude."

He pulled his cell phone out, and dialed the operator. "Yeah, I need the number for the advertising department at the New York Times. Uh-huh. Got it, thanks."

He dialed the number, and waited as it rang. "Yeah, is it too late to post a notice in the classifieds for tomorrow? No? Great. Yeah it's just this; 'Mentor wanted for amnesiac boy'. Yeah, that's it. No, no contact info. Yeah, I have a credit card number, hang on."

* * *

Claire opened her eyes, and was greeted by the sight of a man standing over her.

As she looked down, she realized that she was strapped to what looked like a metal table.

"Well, hello Claire."

The man was bald, had glasses, and his breath smelled bad. "I'm Bob. I think you've met my daughter, Elle."

Claire closed her eyes. "Bitch."

Bob clucked his tongue. "Why, that's not very nice. She could've done a lot worse to you before injecting you and bringing you in."

Claire opened her eyes again. "What did she inject me with?"

Bob crossed his arms over his chest. "A drug that we invented. You see, Claire, your brain controls everything in your body, including your memory. The drug we invented puts a block on the part of your memory that remembers how to use your ability! Simple, really. You still remember that you have the ability, but just can't use it. It also contains a minor sedative. Just a little hint of something to knock you out. Clever, huh?"

She smirked. "Yeah, fucking brilliant. Where am I?"

Elle bounced into view. "You're at our top-secret facility. I'll give you the tour later when they move you to your room. We'll have so much fun together! Too bad Peter Piper can't be here…"

Claire scrunched up her face. "Peter Piper?"

Elle rolled her eyes. "Peter Petrelli. They both start with a 'P'; I was just trying to be funny…"

Her father shook his head. "You've been a bad girl, Claire. Elle told me about your not-so-familial relationship with your uncle. You should be ashamed, really."

Claire's fists clenched. "You have no right to judge. If I could, I'd kick your ass."

Bob chuckled. "She _is_ feisty, Elle. Well Claire, we have to be going, but there will be a doctor here in a few hours. He's going to give you a physical, and then run some…tests."

Claire swallowed. "Tests? What kind of tests?"

Elle giggled. "Oh, the fun kind! You'll see…"

As the door closed, Claire let the tears come.

* * *

Peter waited impatiently at his apartment, pacing.

All of the sudden, the door opened, seemingly by itself. "So you remember now, kid?"

Peter breathed a sigh of relief. "No, not yet."

Claude let out a string of curses. "Then why the hell did you contact me?"

Peter bit his lip. "Because I need your help. The Company captured Claire."

As Peter began to be able to see Claude's face, he was shocked by the look of fear on the man's face.

"They took her? When?"

Peter swallowed. "Last night. I tried to get Mohinder Suresh to help me, but he said he couldn't. Look, I don't remember you, or what our relationship was before I exploded. You don't seem to like me very much, so I'm assuming we weren't best buddies. But I don't know who else to turn to. I love her so much, and if I don't get her back…"

Claude held up his hands. "You don't have to say anything else. I'd do anything to help you get her back."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "You would? Why?"

Claude sighed, running his hand over his beard. "Because she's my daughter."

* * *

**_TOLD you there would be BIG surprises in this chapter!!!!!!!!!_**

**_Review, my lovely readers!_**


	13. Chapter 13

Claire cried as the doctor ran his 'tests'.

He stabbed her, shot her, slit her wrists, strangled her, and tried to hang her.

She was thankful that the doctor waited until the injection she had been given wore off. Otherwise, she would be one _really _dead former cheerleader.

She noticed that at the sight of her tears, the doctor's face softened.

"Why are you doing this, doctor? I never hurt anyone."

He sighed, looking up from where he was cleaning a bloody scalpel in a basin of hot water. "I'm not a doctor. And I'm doing this because I have no choice. The company would kill me if I didn't do what they ask of me."

She sniffled as she listened to the soft lilt of his British accent. "You can stop running tests, there's only one way to kill me. You have to…"

The man held up his hands. "An object straight through the back of the skull, I know."

Claire's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"

She sat up, her legs swinging over the edge of the cold metal table.

The man leaned up against the wall across from her table. "Because it's the only way _I_ can be killed."

Claire's mouth fell open. "You're like me?"

He nodded. "It seems I'm _exactly _like you. Blonde hair and all."

The smile that spread over his face warmed Claire.

"I'm Adam."

Claire stood up, and walked over to him. She hesitated for a second before throwing her arms around him.

"I'm Claire."

He made a noise of surprise. "Well, damn it if that's not the warmest reception I've ever received from someone I've tried to kill."

Claire sniffled, wiping her tears. "I'm sorry. I've just… You're exactly like me. I've felt so alone for so long…Except for Peter, of course."

She stepped backwards, a bit embarrassed about her sudden display of affection towards a complete and total stranger.

Adam's eyebrows shot up as he handed her a wet cloth to clean herself up. "Peter Petrelli?"

Claire whirled from where she'd been scrubbing at some dried blood on her arm. "You know Peter?"

Adam nodded. "We were at this very facility together for about five months. He helped me escape, but when we were running away, we were separated. The Company re-captured me, but I wasn't able to ascertain anything about Peter's whereabouts. He's alive?"

Claire nodded. "Yes. I found him in Ireland, but he has amnesia. He only remembers bits and pieces of his life."

Adam frowned, and then he cocked his head to the side. "So you're the famous Claire. He talked a lot about you, you know."

Claire's eyes lit up. "He did?"

Adam nodded. "A _lot _about you. I expected you to be a bit older, though. He talked about how mature and trustworthy you were. You look like you've barely seen your sixteenth birthday."

Claire straightened, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm eighteen, actually. I'm just small for my age."

Adam smiled again. "I'm sorry to interrupt our conversation, but I must report my findings to Bob. Let's keep our friendship to ourselves for now, alright? I believe we might be able to be of service to eachother later."

Claire nodded, watching as he left the room.

Her smile faded when Elle threw the door open a few moments later. "Needle time again!"

She practically skipped into the room, and over to Claire.

Bob followed his daughter into the room.

Claire winced as the needle punctured the skin on the back of her neck.

Elle tossed the needle into a garbage can and then smiled.

Bob nodded, satisfied. "Time for your tour, Claire. Now, we're a little crowded at the moment, so you'll have to share a room."

He led the way out of the examination room, and Elle linked her arm through Claire's, propelling them after her father.

They walked through cold hallway after cold hallway, until Bob stopped at a tiny room with a large window to see inside of it.

"I believe you've met your roommate, Adam."

He swiped a card through the lock on the door, and it sprang open.

Adam looked up from where he was reading a book, and gave her a half-smile.

Elle shoved Claire into the room, and thrust a blanket into her arms. "Your bed is in the corner."

She turned to Adam and smiled, wiggling her fingers. "Hi Adam. I'll be back to play later!"

Bob scowled at his daughter. "Elle, I told you already. No more 'playing' with the patients."

Elle stuck out her bottom lip. "Daddy! What good are these powers if I can't have a little fun with them?"

Bob motioned for Elle to leave the room, and she did.

He turned back to Claire. "If you need anything, push the intercom. We understand that these aren't the most pleasant conditions, but we try to make them bearable."

Claire scoffed. "Yeah, thanks. Having someone try to kill me doesn't really help me to believe you care about our comfort."

Bob shrugged. "We asked Noah to bring you in a few months ago, Claire. If he had listened, none of this would be happening. You would be working alongside of us to help other special people like yourself."

Claire's eyes flashed.

"I was perfectly happy living in New York with my boyfriend. I want to live a normal life! I know there are other people out there who need help, but what you're doing isn't helping. Forcing people to come in so you can test and document their abilities? What happens then? Since you said it was crowded here, I can't imagine that you just let people go back to living their lives."

Bob took his glasses off, wiping them with the bottom of his shirt. "You mean living with your _uncle_, don't you? I assume you haven't told Adam about your incestuous relationship, have you?"

Claire's eyes widened, and she looked over at Adam.

He was looking at Bob expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"Claire is Nathan Petrelli's daughter, and therefore, Peter's niece. She has a sexual relationship with her own uncle."

Claire lowered her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "It's not like that, okay? When we met, we didn't know we were related. I had a crush on him, and…I don't know. It's just…It's complicated. More complicated than you make it out to be. Don't pretend you could ever understand."

Adam sighed. "Bob, shut up. This girl has been through enough today. And you're not really one to judge morals, you know. You kill people every day."

Bob smirked. "Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted."

He pulled the door shut behind him, and Claire sank down onto her bed, head in hands.

* * *

Peter's mouth fell open. "Her…what?"

Claude walked over to Peter's refrigerator, and pulled out a beer. "Her father, mate. As in, Claire is my daughter."

Peter shook his head. "No, that's not possible. Nathan's her dad."

Claude tossed his beer cap onto the counter. "Beg your pardon, but he's not. Her damn mother just told him he was because she wanted money."

Peter sank down heavily on the sofa. "How…?"

Claude crossed his arms. "I used to work for The Company with Claire's adopted father, Noah Bennet. We were partners, we went on missions together. We worked out of a paper company in Odessa, Texas. I was at a bar one night, and met Meredith, Claire's mum. We fell in love. I didn't know she was having a fling with your brother, too."

His eyes took on a faraway look. "She had an ability too. She could create fire. One day, she was trying to light a candle, and her powers surged. She set the whole house on fire. It was at her funeral that I discovered her affair with Nathan."

He took a long swig of his beer, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "I was the one who rescued Claire from the fire. I thought it best to keep her hidden, in case Nathan would try to take what little I had left of Meredith. I had a paternity test done to prove I was her dad, and it came back affirmative. I went to The Company for help, and they agreed to help me hide Claire. They gave her to my partner, Noah Bennet. He had no idea she was mine. I found out later that Meredith survived the fire, too. But I had no desire to rekindle an old romance. No pun intended, though."

Peter stood up. "So she's not my niece?!"

Claude shook his head. "No. Though I oughta box your ears for even thinking about sleeping with someone you thought was your brother's daughter."

Peter fought back the urge to hug the cranky invisible man. "We have to get her back. Where do we start?"

Claude tossed his empty beer bottle into the garbage can. "The Company has a facility here in New York, and with our shared power of invisibility, it should be easy enough to infiltrate."

Peter grabbed his coat. "What the hell are we waiting for?"

* * *

**_So there you are, lovely readers! Another chapter._**

I hope you're enjoying the route I am taking with this story!

**_I'm glad you are enjoying the way I write Elle. I loved Kristen Bell on 'Veronica Mars', and adore her 'Heroes' character._**

**_I introduced Adam in this chapter too, because I ADORE him! I hope the brief Claude monologue cleared up any questions you had! _**

**_Drop me a review, pretty pretty please!_**

****


	14. Chapter 14

Claire couldn't sleep that night.

She tossed and turned on her scratchy mattress, wrestling with the thin blanket she had been given.

Adam's soft snoring echoed through the empty room, and she grunted. "I wonder if they would bring you a Breathe-right strip if I asked them to."

She closed her eyes and sighed.

_Peter must be looking for me, right? He went to the café, saw I wasn't there, and is looking for me. It's just a matter of time. And besides, Adam can keep me safe…I think. He seems like he's trustworthy enough... Oh, hurry up, Peter! _

Adam continued to snore, and she finally walked over to his bed, and pinched his nose shut with her fingers.

It was only a matter of seconds before his eyes opened, and he gasped for air. "What the hell, Claire? Are you trying to murder me in my sleep?!"

She let go of his nose, and shook her head. "Your snoring is keeping me awake. Roll over, would you? My mom told me that if you sleep on your side, you won't snore."

Adam scowled. "This is why I always refused a cellmate. Here I was, trying to befriend you out of the goodness of my heart, and you insult my snoring."

Claire put her hands on her hips. "Look, all I want is some sleep, okay? I haven't had the greatest day."

Adam's face softened. "I'm sorry."

She went back to her own bed and lay down, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

The room was silent for a few minutes, and then Adam cleared his throat. "So you're Peter's niece?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Yes. But I'd prefer not to be reminded of that."

Claire knew that Adam was curious, and rolled her eyes.

"My dad used to work for The Company. I heard him talking to a friend of his who is a mole in The Company. They were talking about all these people with abilities, and then the guy said they'd found Peter in Ireland. I didn't even give it a second thought. I just grabbed my fake passport, and took a cab to the airport. I found him at a bar in Cork. I saw him for the first time, and oh, God. I almost fainted! But then I found out he had amnesia. That was hard…"

Adam cleared his throat to interrupt her. "How did he get amnesia?"

Claire shrugged, but then realized that Adam couldn't see her shoulder movement in the dark room. "Someone said they thought the Haitian was responsible, but I don't know. He had a girl who was hanging all over him, too. She was pretty, tiny, had a cute Irish accent. I hated her immediately."

Adam chuckled, and she smiled.

"He told me later that he felt an immediate connection to me as soon as he saw me. I want to believe it was his heart remembering me, but I don't know. We made love that night. I didn't intend to, but we could both feel the electricity between us, and it…It just happened. I didn't tell him I was his niece until the next day."

Adam let out a low whistle. "And how did he respond?"

Claire sighed. "Not very well. But eventually he decided that he didn't want to fight such a strong connection. If I could have forgotten my feelings, I would have, trust me. But it feels so right when I'm with him, and I just wanted some damn happiness for once."

Adam cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not judging, Claire. I was Peter's confidant for the time he was here, and there was something different about the way he talked about you. He said your name with reverence, and talked about how wonderful you were. I think that maybe he had feelings for you _before _his amnesia."

Claire's heart beat faster at the thought. "Really?"

Adam smiled. "Really. Now, if I promise to sleep on my side so I don't snore, can I go back to sleep?"

Claire laughed. "Yes. Goodnight, Adam."

* * *

Peter looked at the dilapidated building in front of him. "_This _is their top-secret facility? It looks like a condemned building."

Claude grunted. "That's the idea. Nobody would bother such a run-down place. It looks a lot different on the inside, trust me. Now shut up, and follow me. Remember to stay invisible, please. The last thing we need is for some punk security guard to spot you appearing out of thin air."

Peter nodded, and followed him down a filthy alley.

They reached a back door, but when Claude tried to open it, he cursed. "It's locked."

Peter walked to the door, and closed his eyes. Placing his palm flat against the cold metal, he phased through the door.

Once inside, he placed his hand on a complicated-looking alarm system, and told it to disengage.

He heard a series of small beeps, and then the door swung open.

Claude raised his eyebrows. "You're more impressive than I remember, friend."

Peter chuckled. "Where to?"

Claude looked around, and then pointed down a hallway. "If they have her in the holding cells, she'll be down there. You'll need to take out the cameras that are in the hallway. They had heat sensors installed when I worked for them."

Peter shot a bolt of electricity out of his hand.

It hit one of the cameras, and then as if following the wiring, each of the other cameras exploded individually.

Claude led the way down the hallway, stopping at the observation windows of each cell to look inside.

He stopped at the last room, and gestured to Peter.

He stepped up to the window next to the older man, and gasped.

The room was dark, but his eyes soon adjusted.

There were two beds in the room.

In one was a man who was on his side, facing the wall.

And in the other was the most glorious head of blonde hair Peter had ever seen. "Claire…"

Claude nodded, and pointed to a keypad next to the doorway.

Peter closed his eyes, and tried to speak to the control box behind the keypad, but there was only static.

He scrunched his eyes tighter, concentrating. But still, there was only static.

Claude nudged him. "What's wrong?"

Peter sighed in frustration. "I'm only getting static. I can't use the electricity either. It's like there's a cloud over my mind, or something."

Claude cursed. "The Haitian is close by."

Peter's eyebrows rose. "He can block my abilities?"

Claude nodded. "He can block anyone's powers. If he's close, we'd better find somewhere to hide. Otherwise, we're sitting ducks."

Peter pointed to a door marked 'Records', and Claude nodded.

They pushed the door open, and finding the room empty, stepped inside.

Claude flipped on the light switch, and the sight of dozens of filing cabinets greeted them.

Jerking one open, Peter saw that they were full of files, and each one was printed with someone's name at the top. "They're alphabetical."

He went down the line until he reached the cabinet marked 'N – P'.

Pulling it open, he searched through the files, looking for his name.

But there wasn't one, and Claude's eyes narrowed. "That's not right. There should be an _encyclopedia _with your name on it. Check Claire's name."

Peter went back up the line, and searched for her file. But again, there was nothing.

He looked up at the older man. "They would obviously have one on her. Do you think they're in a different place?"

Claude nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if Bob kept the most important files in his office."

Peter frowned. "Who's Bob?"

Claude crossed his arms over his chest. "He's the leader of The Company. Not the big boss, mind you. In all the years I worked for them, I never laid eyes on the mastermind. No one has. Bob's office is two floors up, but it might be hard to get past the security if the Haitian is blocking you."

Peter frowned. "I really don't care all that much about the files, Claude. I just want to get Claire back. Tell me how to get into that room."

* * *

Claire awakened the next morning to the door of her cell banging open.

Elle stood in the doorway with a tray. "Grub time! Come and get it!"

She sat the food on the table in the corner as Adam sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Claire sighed. "I'm not hungry."

Elle pouted. "Oh, come on now Claire. You're a growing girl, you've got to keep up your strength!"

Claire shook her head. "I don't want it."

Elle's jaw tightened, and she walked over to Claire.

Grabbing her throat, she lifted the smaller girl off the bed. "Well, you can't take your pills on an empty stomach, so you have to…"

At that moment, Elle's head was jerked backwards by an invisible force, and she was thrown against the wall.

Claire gasped. "Peter?"

He made himself visible, and she threw herself into his arms. "I knew you'd come for me."

Peter brushed her hair away from her face, and kissed her gently. "Of course I came for you."

Neither of them noticed as Adam moved to help Elle to her feet.

Peter cupped her chin. "Claude is going to meet us out front. We have some big news for you. But first we have to…AUGH!"

Peter let out a strangled cry as Adam stabbed him in the back of the neck with a needle.

It was the same kind of needle Elle had used on Claire back at the café.

Claire looked up at Adam in shock. "Adam? Why did you do that?"

Adam sighed. "I'm sorry, Claire. Really. I just do what I'm told."

Elle patted his cheek, smiling. "He's a very good boy. Not like Peter here…"

She knelt down next to Peter's unconscious body, and caressed his cheek. "It's okay, Peter. We'll make you all better…"

Claire's blood boiled as Adam lifted her unconscious Peter into his arms, and followed Elle out of the room.

When the door slammed shut, Claire dissolved into tears.

* * *

**_There you go, the next chapter! _**

**_I apologize for the delay in the update, but I had a case of the flu that kept me in bed for a week._**

**_Anyway, PLEASE review! _**

**_There has been a drop-off in reviews lately, and while I don't write solely for the reviews, they are MAJOR motivation!_**

**_I love to hear what you guys think of the story, so click that purple button and make me happy!_**

**_PLEASE! For the love of James McAvoy! _**


	15. Chapter 15

Peter woke up to find himself on a scratchy mattress in the corner of an otherwise empty room.

His head hurt like hell, and he wasn't sure why.

Then, the memory of what had happened came flooding back, and he grimaced.

Not only had he failed to rescue Claire, now he had gotten himself captured.

He closed his eyes and tried to teleport, but there was nothing but the crackling silence, courtesy of the Haitian.

He cursed under his breath, and stood up.

He crossed to the large window, and peered out.

All he could see was one of the seemingly endless hallways he had walked through the night before with Claude.

He sighed, pressing his forehead against the glass.

Claude was their only hope, now.

* * *

Claude cracked his knuckles, made himself visible, and rang the doorbell.

He could hear footsteps approaching, and then the door swung open.

A pretty, dark-haired woman stood at the door, a small boy on each side of her. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Claude nodded. "I'm here to see Nathan Petrelli. I apologize; I know it's early…"

The woman held up her hands. "Not at all. I'll go get my husband. Boys, go get your backpacks or you'll be late for school. Please, come in sir."

The woman walked into another room, and the little boys each lifted a backpack onto their shoulders.

One of them peered quizzically up at Claude. "You talk funny."

The other boy pinched his brother. "Simon! Mommy said it's not nice to make fun of the way people talk."

The other boy looked sheepish. "Be quiet, Monty. You took an extra cookie after dinner last night!"

Monty blushed. "SIMON! You promised not to tell!"

Claude chuckled. "It's okay, little one. I'm not in the business of tattling on people."

The brothers grinned at eachother, and then grinned up at the British man in front of them.

Nathan's wife remerged, keys in hand. "Okay, out to the car, boys. My husband will see you in his office, sir. Right through that door there."

Claude nodded. "Thank you, madam."

She smiled. "Please, call me Heidi. Mr.…?"

He stuck out his hand, shaking hers. "Raines. I'm Claude Raines."

Heidi smiled. "Nice to meet you. If you'll excuse me, I need to get our boys off to school. I hope you have a pleasant meeting with my husband."

When the door had closed behind her, Claude smirked.

"Pleasant, eh? Not exactly how I think this is going to go…"

He walked through the door that Nathan's wife had designated, and found himself face-to-face with Nathan Petrelli.

Nathan rose to his feet. "Welcome to my home, sir. I'm Nathan Petrelli. Might I inquire as to the reason behind your visit?"

Claude sat down in one of the leather chairs across the desk from Nathan. "My name is Claude Raines. I'm a friend of your brother's."

Nathan's eyes widened. "Pete? Is he okay? I haven't heard from him or Claire in a few weeks…"

Claude scratched the back of his neck. " 'Okay' is a relative term, Nathan. Peter and Claire have both been captured by The Company."

Nathan's face blanched. "Oh, God…"

Claude nodded. "Peter and I went to save Claire, and he wasn't careful. He didn't remain invisible, and they got him."

Nathan groaned, rubbing his eyes. "That's Pete for you. Anything to save his niece."

Claude snorted. "She's not his niece. Though, I'm surprised you let those two carry on with their liaisons thinking that she was your daughter."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Claire _is_ my daughter."

Claude shook his head, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "Not according to this, she isn't."

Nathan unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the page. "It's a paternity test…"

He looked up. "She's not my daughter?"

Claude shook his head. "No. Sorry mate, but the fatherly honors go to me."

Nathan handed the paper back to Claude, drumming his fingers on the desk angrily. "Meredith is a lying bitch. Wait until I get my hands on her…"

Claude shook his head. "She didn't know. Though why she automatically assumed you were the father, I don't know. Probably because it was a much happier ending. I'm supposed to be dead."

He shook his head at Nathan's inquisitive look. "Don't ask. Look, I came for help. We need to rescue your brother, and my daughter. I know where the facility is, and you can help me."

Nathan nodded. "I have the perfect plan."

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. As he waited for the person on the other end to answer, Nathan smiled.

"They get to be together now. They don't have to worry about anything anymore."

Claude nodded. "Yeah, yeah. They get to hump eachother like bunnies all they want now. Can we just save them first and deal with unpleasant visuals later?"

Nathan nodded, turning back to the phone. "Frank, it's Nathan Petrelli. I need a favor…"

* * *

Claire looked up as Elle entered the cell, Adam in tow. "I brought your roommate back, Claire! Aren't you happy now?"

Claire glared at the blonde duo. "No, I'm not. You knocked my boyfriend out and dragged him away as he was about to rescue me. Why the hell would I be happy?"

Elle tilted her head. "Geez, you really have a thing for Peter…"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Just leave me alone, would you?"

Elle shrugged, and blew Adam a kiss before skipping out of the room.

Adam sat down on his bed, and bit his lip. "I realize that you must be angry with me, Claire…"

Her eyes flashed. "Shut up, you son of a bitch. Elle was knocked out. Peter was here. We could have escaped!"

Adam shook his head. "Bob and the Haitian were just outside the door, Claire. If I had helped Peter, they would have known I was disloyal to The Company, and that could make things much, much worse for me."

Claire shook her head. "I still don't understand that. Why do you _pretend _to be loyal to them?"

Adam sighed, running his fingers through his short hair. "Claire, I've been here for a _very _long time. Aside from the time a few months ago when I tried to escape with Peter, I've always been a model prisoner. As a result, they give me special privileges. I'm a very, very old man. My healing ability has kept me from aging. In past lives, I've been a lawyer, a doctor… That's why they allowed me to run the tests on you. Well, that, and the fact that I know the only spot that will most assuredly kill us. They asked me to make sure that you were exactly like me."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Adam smiled, looking down at his hands. "The Company's grand scheme is to create an army. An army that will be able to defend the world against all evils, against all those who are prejudiced against people like us. People with abilities. Simply put, you and I are to be bred."

Claire's head whipped around "WHAT?!"

Adam sighed rubbing a hand over his eyes. "It's quick and painless, really. I've already impregnated three women The Company selected. With any luck, they'll get my ability of healing, and the ability of their mother. For instance; flight, enhanced hearing, super strength… You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they bred you with Peter. Not only would the baby be one good-looking kid, but it would possibly have Peter's arsenal of abilities."

Claire's mouth was hanging open. "That's barbaric. We're not dogs!"

Adam smiled sadly. "Try telling _them _that."

* * *

**_Thanks for all the lovely reviews!_**

**_I didn't get a chance to write much this week. I like to stay at least one chapter ahead of what I'm posting, but now I'm out of new chapters. Hopefully, I'll get another chapter written by this weekend._**

****

**_To the reader who asked me who James McAvoy is..._**

**_He is the new love of my life! _**

**_He's starred in "Atonement", "Becoming Jane", "Starter For Ten", and "The Last King of Scotland", and is in the movie "Penelope" being released this Friday._**

**_He's a wonderful actor, and really, really cute!_**

**_So once more..._**

**_PLEASE, for the love of James McAvoy!_**

**_Leave me some lovely reviews?!_**

**_Thanks in advance._**

**_You readers are truly awesome!_**


	16. Chapter 16

Claire paced up and down the room, muttering to herself.

Adam looked up from his book. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor, Claire."

She shot him a hateful glare. "It's insane. This is illegal! It's…it's immoral! How can they take people and just… It's not right, Adam. How can you sit by and watch this happen, and not do anything?"

Adam laid aside his book. "Don't try to pin this on me! It wasn't my idea to treat people like lab rats. You can blame that on the ugly one in the glasses and whoever the hell his boss is."

She shook her head. "But you're not doing anything to try to stop it. I expected more from you, Adam."

She sank to the floor, her back propped up against her bed.

He cursed under his breath. "It's not like it hurts or anything, Claire. It's quick and painless, really. They extract the sperm of the male subject, and an egg from the female. They fertilize the egg in a Petri dish, and plant it back in the female subject's uterus. It's basically the same as when a woman goes to her doctor for fertility treatments. Except of course, _we_ have no say in the matter. Claire, I can't do anything. I'm sorry."

She got up and walked over to the wall, pushing the intercom button.

After a few seconds, Bob's whiney voice echoed through the room. "Yes, Claire?"

She crossed her arms. "I want to see Peter."

* * *

Peter looked up as the door of his cell swung open.

His eyes lit up at the sight of Claire.

Bob escorted the petite blonde into the room. "Claire requested to see you. Now don't say we weren't accommodating to the two of you. Allowing two 'guests' to interact is usually frowned upon. I'll give you five minutes, Claire."

He pulled the door shut behind him, and Claire threw her arms around Peter's neck.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Are you okay? Are they hurting you?"

She shook her head. "Unless you count sticking me in a cell with Adam the cowardly lion. What about you? Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't rescue you. Claude and I worked so hard to keep from being seen, and then I blew it."

Claire's eyebrows rose. "Claude was with you? Did he get captured too?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think they would've said something to me, rubbed it in my face or something if he had. Claire, there's something you need to know."

She glanced over at the door. "What is it?"

He swallowed. "Nathan isn't your father. Claude is."

Claire's mouth fell open. "What?! How…"

Peter held up his hands. "It's a long story. Basically, he was in love with your mom. She cheated on him with Nathan, and assumed that he was the father when she found out. Silver lining? We can be together now."

Claire grinned, and then kissed him quickly. "Wow. God, that's a lot to process…"

She shook her head vigorously. " I'll think about that later. We only have five minutes. I have something to tell you, too. Adam says that this facility is being used to create an army of people like us, people with abilities. They're breeding people with different abilities to see if they can make some kind of "super soldiers". I'm scared, Peter. How are we going to get out of here?"

Peter brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Claude and I made plans before we came here, that if something happened to either one of us, we'd go to Nathan. He'll be able to help, I'm sure."

Claire nodded. "Peter, in case something happens… I love you. You know that, right?"

Peter nodded. "I love you too, Claire. But nothing is going to happen. I promise."

He kissed her softly, just as the door opened.

"Okay, break it up you two."

Bob walked over to Claire, and motioned towards the door. "Back to your own cell, Claire. Don't worry, though. I think the two of you will see eachother again soon."

He followed Claire out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

Peter sat down on his mattress, and sighed heavily.

_Please, God. Let Nathan know what to do to help us!

* * *

_

Nathan cleared his throat, and turned to Claude. "Well, how do I look?"

Claude shrugged. "Like a pompous jackass. Nice suit, though."

Nathan smirked. "Thanks a lot."

A blonde woman wearing a headset entered the room. "Mr. Petrelli, we're all ready for you."

He nodded, and took a deep breath. "Wish me luck, Claude."

Claude clapped him on the back. "Break a leg, mate."

Nathan frowned. "You know, that would sound a lot better if I wasn't sure you really wanted me to break my leg."

Claude grinned.

Nathan walked out in front of the room of reporters and cameramen.

He cleared his throat, and decided to forego the fake, politician smile, and get straight to the point.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Nathan Petrelli. Most of you know me as your Congressman-elect. I come before you today with a very serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately."

The reporters began to whisper to eachother.

He cleared his throat again, and the room grew silent.

"At this moment, my brother Peter and his girlfriend are in grave danger. They have been kidnapped."

Gasps could be heard echoing through the room.

"Peter and Claire have been kidnapped by a group of people known only as The Company. The Company's motives are plain and simple, to run tests on people. To treat them like lab rats. Why Peter and Claire, you may ask? Because they're special. Over the last year or so, an event has been taking place all over the world. People who went to bed normal, woke up with the ability to become invisible, to heal, to read minds, to fly. Ladies and gentleman, Peter, Claire and yes, even myself are a part of this phenomenon."

The hushed whispers became loud questions, and Nathan held up his hands again.

"Please, let me finish. We may be different, but we are human beings, the same as any of you. We are human beings, and we do not deserve to have people experimenting on us, poking us with needles, and even trying to kill us. I ask that you be understanding of us, as we are understanding of people amongst us with differences. Whether it be the color of your skin, an accent, a disability, or the ability to walk through walls, we all believe that we deserve to be safe and happy. As I talk to you now, the NYPD is surrounding the facility in which my brother and his girlfriend, and God-knows how many others are being held. We pray for a peaceful resolution, and we ask for people to start discussions amongst themselves and among world leaders to deal with those who would do us harm. Thank you very much. God bless you all, God bless New York, and God bless America."

* * *

**_I'm very happy with the next few chapters I've written!_**

**_ Review, and I may update sooner than usual! _**

****

**_The End of the story is near, folks!_**


	17. Chapter 17

Bob was filling out the file of a new patient when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

_"It's me. Turn on your television, and tell me what you plan on doing about this." _

Bob clicked on the television set across from his desk, and watched in silence for a few minutes.

"That idiot. He has no idea what he's just done!" 

_"My question requires an answer, Robert."_

Bob removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "If he sends the NYPD, we're screwed. There's nothing I _can _do. But if he's bluffing…"

The sound of fists pounding on his office door startled him. "Hold on. Come in!"

Elle burst into the room. "Daddy! There are people outside. People with guns!"

Bob rushed to the nearest window, looking down at the people surrounding the building.

"Those aren't the police…"

* * *

Claire was drifting off to sleep when the door to her cell was thrown open.

Bob hurried in, sweat rolling down his forehead. "Get up, both of you." 

Adam sat up, his forehead wrinkling with confusion. "What's going on?"

Bob cursed under his breath, and then turned an accusatory finger to Claire. "Her father is here."

Claire's eyebrows shot up. 

Adam chuckled. "Which one?"

Bob lifted a shaking hand to his forehead. "God, I have a migraine. Her adopted father, Noah Bennet."

Claire gasped. "Daddy? What is he doing here?"

Bob cursed again. "He probably saw Nathan's press conference. Your fathers are thorns in my side, Claire." 

Elle hurried in. "What are we going to do, Daddy?"

Bob paced the room frantically. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that question."

He stopped pacing after a moment. "We'll send Claire and Peter out to them. They'll leave us alone, then."

Claire shook her head. "If you think my dad is just going to go away, you're sorely mistaken. He's not going to stop until he brings this whole Company down." 

Bob looked like he was going to cry.

Just then, alarms began to sound, the piercing alarms echoing through the hallways.

Bob's eyes widened. "They're in the building. Elle, go to the roof. I've called fora helicopter."

Elle looked over at Adam. "But Daddy…"

Bob looked between Elle and Adam. "Oh, Elle! You can't possibly tell me you have _feelings _for him! Weren't you hung up on Peter?"

Elle shook her head. "No. Not anymore. I just want Adam." 

Bob shook his head. "No. Get up to the roof."

"Daddy! I can't leave him here, I..."

"ELLE! Damn it, get up there, NOW!"

Elle reached behind her, pulling out the gun she'd hidden in the back of her jeans.

She only fired one shot, but it hit its mark.

Claire gasped as Bob crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood spreading from his body.

His gasps for air echoed through the room as Elle stared in shock for a moment. 

Then, she grabbed Adam's hand, and began to run from the room.

She paused in the doorway for a second. "I'm sorry Claire. I didn't want to be like him."

Claire bent over the shuddering frame of the man who had been her captor. 

His wound was deep, through the chest. 

The bullet hadn't come out the other side, meaning it was still lodged in his body somewhere. 

The alarm still blared on, and Claire didn't hear the approaching footsteps until Peter stood in the doorway.

She gasped, and he smiled briefly. "Elle let me out. She shot him?"

Claire nodded, as Peter knelt down next to the bald man, whose glasses lay shattered on the cement floor.

Peter grabbed Claire's blanket and balled it up, pressing it to the bullet wound.

Bob shook his head. "It's too late. I deserved it anyway." 

His words were choked, and as he spoke, blood streamed from his mouth.

He grasped Peter's hand. "I'm sorry for what I've done to your family. To you."

He pressed the palm of his hand to Peter's forehead, and Peter let out a guttural scream. 

Claire stepped backwards, her back pressing against the cold cement wall. "What are you doing to him?" 

Bob opened his eyes, a smile crossing his face. "I gave him his memories back. I can pull memories out of people's minds, or put them back. His memories were never _really _gone, just buried deep in his mind. It's _my _ability, the one I've never told anyone about. I'm sorry, Claire."

With that, he let out a deep, shuddering breath, and was gone. 

Peter opened his eyes, and blinked a few times.

Claire moved towards him, and clasped his hand. "Peter?"

He looked up at her. "I remember. I remember everything."

She threw her arms around his neck, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's get out of here."

As they walked out into the hallway, hand in hand, they saw dozens of armed men running back and forth.

Peter looked confused. "Where did Noah get all these men?"

Claire shrugged. "He always had connections. My guess is that there were more than a few dissatisfied workers that The Company didn't know about."

Peter nodded, and then jerked her to a halt.

Directly in front of them, stood Noah Bennet.

* * *

Noah smiled at his daughter. "I've been worried about you, Claire-bear."

He frowned up at one of the flashing alarms. "Take care of that for me, would you Peter?"

Peter pressed his hand to the control panel, and the alarms stopped. 

Noah nodded. "Thank you. Now if you don't mind, your _niece_ and I have some things to talk about."

Peter didn't relinquish his grip on Claire's hand. "She's _not _my niece."

Noah crossed his arms. "Now Peter, we all wish things were different, but Nathan _is _her father."

Claire shook her head. "No, he's not. Claude Raines is."

Noah's smile fell, and his eyes widened. "How do you know that name?"

Claire moved closer to Peter, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Come on, Dad. Don't you think it's time you stop treating me like a child? I know way more than you think I know." 

Noah bit his lip. "All this time, and Claude never told me…" 

He cleared his throat. "Where's Bob?"

Peter sighed. "He's dead. His daughter shot him. In fact, she's probably escaping with Adam Monroe as we speak."

Noah sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing them with the sleeve of his shirt. "Elle Bishop isn't the biggest threat right now. Excuse me."

Noah pushed past them into Claire's cell, and they watched as he fished through Bob's pockets.

He pulled out a cell phone, and flipped it open. 

"Only one number has ever called or been called from this phone. My guess is that it's Bob's mysterious boss. If I redial it, maybe we'll find out who he's been working for all this time."

He put it on speakerphone, and pressed the redial button.

It rang a few times, and then was answered. "I assume since you're still alive, that you've taken care of our little 'situation'. Good. Now, I want you to kill Peter and Claire before they cause us any more trouble."

Peter gasped. "Mom?"

* * *

**_Dun Dun DUN! _**

**_Did you see this twist coming? _**

**_If you did, you're phenominal, because I didn't even see it coming! HAHA!_**

**_Drop me a review, and let me know what you thought of this chapter!_**

**_You've only got three more chapters, so enjoy the story while you can!_**

**_Love you all!_**


	18. Chapter 18

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, and then Angela cleared her throat.

_"Peter? What are you doing with Robert's phone?"_

Peter scoffed. "I'm not even going to grace that question with an answer. You just said that you wanted Bob to kill Claire and I."

"_No, dear. You misunderstood what I was saying. I was asking Robert to make sure you were safe, and…" _

Peter grabbed the phone from Noah. "Bob's dead, Mom. Elle shot him. I guess it's a good thing, too. Otherwise, he'd be on his way to kill us right now. You know, I always knew you were a cold-hearted bitch, but I never thought you'd sink _this _low."

Angela sighed heavily. "_Peter, I only wanted to do what was best for the world._"

Claire bit her lip as Peter's hands began to glow.

Noah looked up at her. "What's he doing?"

She shrugged. "His anger must trigger the radiation he absorbed from Ted."

She placed a hand on his arm. "Peter, calm down."

He looked down at her, and nodded.

Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths, and the radiation glow slowly faded away.

She smiled up at him, proud that he had come so far in controlling his abilities.

"Does Nathan know about what you've done? All the people that you've hurt?"

Angela was silent for a moment. "Peter, I have to go."

The resounding click of the call being ended was the last sound they heard before Peter hurled the phone across the room.

The phone hit the wall, and smashed into tiny pieces that fell to the floor.

Noah shook his head. "She's going to run."

Peter turned to face the older man. "Let her run like the coward she is. She'd better watch her back, though. If I ever get my hands on her…"

He turned back to Claire. "Let's go. I need to see Nathan."

Claire allowed him to lead her from the room, casting a glance over her shoulder at Noah Bennet.

She gave him a half-smile, and then looked straight ahead. Noah was her past. _Peter _was her future.

* * *

Claire felt awkward.

She was sitting on a sofa next to Peter, and Nathan and Heidi were across from them.

Nathan had asked that they not bring up the fact that they had once thought Claire to be his daughter.

He said it would only bring Heidi unneeded pain.

Now, Peter was telling Nathan about their mother's deception, and she felt extremely out of place in the family matter.

Nathan kept cursing under his breath, and drumming his fingers on his knee. "I could cut off her credit cards, alert the authorities…"

Peter nodded. "She needs to be brought to justice. I'm going to make sure it happens."

Nathan nodded. "I need to make some phone calls. If you'll excuse me…"

Peter stood up. "I'll come with you."

He paused, and leaned down to give Claire a soft kiss on the mouth.

He smiled down at her, and then followed his brother into the office.

Heidi smiled warmly at Claire. "You've been through quite an ordeal, Claire."

Claire nodded wearily. "I just want to curl up in a ball and cry. The past few months have been _insane_."

Heidi reached out, resting a comforting hand on her knee. "I'm so sorry for all you've been through. Would you like to get some rest? Maybe take a nice, relaxing bath and then take a nap?"

Claire nodded. "That would be amazing, thank you."

Heidi smiled. "Follow me."

Claire followed her up the steps, and into a beautiful guest room.

Heidi opened a door, revealing a bathroom with a large whirlpool bathtub.

Claire smiled. "This is amazing, thank you."

Heidi brushed away the thanks. "No need to thank me. I can tell Peter really cares about you, Claire. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you."

Claire lowered her head, blushing. "Yeah, well I care a lot about him, too."

Heidi chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Wait here a second."

She hurried from the room, returning a moment later with some clothes.

"Here. I'm not quite as small as you are, but these will be better than what you're wearing."

Claire looked down at the hospital scrubs that had been her attire while she was in The Company's facility.

She grimaced when she saw that some of Bob's blood was smeared across her pants.

"Thank you."

Heidi nodded. "I'll leave you to relax. Just come find me if you need anything else."

She pulled the door to the guest room shut behind her, and Claire turned to the bathroom.

She filled the tub with scalding-hot water, and stepped in.

She closed her eyes as the water burned her skin, and sank down into the tub.

She bit her lip, and then let the tears come.

* * *

Peter pushed the door to the guest room open slowly, and smiled at the sight of Claire curled up in bed.

She was wearing a bathrobe, her skin still pink from her bath.

He eased onto the bed carefully, not wanting to awaken her.

He brushed her hair away from her face, and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. "Hi."

He returned her smile. "Hi. I'm sorry, I was trying not to wake you up."

She shook her head. "It's okay. What happened with your mom?"

Peter rolled onto his back, putting his arm behind his head. "Nathan cancelled her credit cards, and we called the F.B.I. They've got an APB out on her. Other than that, we're not sure what to do."

Claire propped herself up on her elbow. "Why don't you use Molly's ability to find her?"

Peter bit his lip, and rolled over to face her. "Honestly? I'm afraid of what I'll do to her if I find her. If the F.B.I. finds her, they'll arrest her. She'll have a trial, and an unbiased jury will decide her fate."

Claire nodded. "You're a good man, Peter Petrelli."

He chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that."

He closed the distance between them, capturing her lips with his.

He pulled back after a moment. "I'm sorry Claire. For everything you've been through… I wish I could have saved you from some of the pain."

She shook her head. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, Peter. I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

She chuckled. "One thing bugs me, though."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She frowned. "Who cut your hair?"

He laughed. "Elle. Does it look that bad?"

She shook her head. "No, but I miss the emo bangs. Promise me you'll let your hair grow?"

He nodded. "I promise."

She pressed a kiss to his mouth.

Soon, clothes were shed, and they were one again.

* * *

**_Okay, so I know it was fluffy, but I felt like there needed to be some fluffiness based on the angst of the last few chapters._**

**_Two chapters left, everyone!_**

****

**_Review, if you please! _**


	19. Chapter 19

**_Okay, so I know I said I had two more chapters, but I ultimately decided to combine them into one. I just wasn't happy with the ending being its own chapter, so I just combined them. As much as I hate having an uneven amount of chapters, I feel better about the ending now!_**

**_And Now... The conclusion!_**

Danny Grant sat behind his desk at the LAPD, sipping his coffee.

Suddenly, there was a loud –BOOM-, and then a knock on his office door.

He opened the door, and the body of a woman fell into the room.

He caught her, and gasped when he saw her face.

Lying her carefully on the ground, he hurried to his desk and pulled out a flier that had been faxed to him just hours ago.

Holding it next to the woman's face, he let out a surprised expletive, and then rushed to his desk.

Picking up the phone, he dialed the number on the flier.

_"F.B.I, Agent Hanson speaking." _

Danny cleared his throat. "Ms. Hanson? This is Danny Grant with the LAPD. We've got Angela Petrelli in custody."

_"You've got her? How?" _

He scratched his head. "I don't know really. She's pretty banged up, too. Smells like smoke, and her skin is a little burned."

_"Alright, Danny. Keep her there until we can come get her."_

"Okay. Ms. Hanson? Any idea who Peter and Claire are?"

The other end was silent for a second. _"Peter and Claire?"_

Danny bent down. "There's an envelope pinned to her jacket with those names written on it."

_"Peter is her son. Claire… I only know one Claire that's been associated with that family. Claire Bennet was a cheerleader on a case I worked in Odessa, Texas. Peter rescued her from a mass murderer. That's strange that it's addressed to the two of them. We'll be there in an hour, Danny." _

"Okay, Agent Hanson."

_"You can call me Audrey."_

Peter and Claire were awakened the next morning by a knock on the bedroom door.

Claire motioned for him to stay under the covers, and pulled her bathrobe on. "It would take you longer to get dressed."

She winked at him, and opened the door.

Nathan stood there, and there was a familiar face next to him. "Hi Claire."

Claire gasped. "Agent Hanson? What are you doing here?"

Audrey smiled. "I have something for you. Well, you and Peter."

Claire cleared her throat, and glanced over her shoulder. "Um, can you give us a minute?"

Audrey's eyebrows shot up. "Us? You're both in there?"

Claire blushed a little. "We'll be downstairs in a couple of minutes."

She closed the door, and leaned against, clamping a hand over her mouth.

Audrey and Nathan heard Peter's laugh through the door.

* * *

Peter and Claire appeared in the living room a few minutes later, fully clothed.

Peter shook Audrey's hand, and she smirked. "Well, the relationship between you two has certainly developed since the last time I saw you…"

Claire laughed nervously, and Peter wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You said you had something for us, Agent Hanson?"

She nodded, and pulled an envelope out of her jacket pocket. "Your mother was found at the Los Angeles Police Department last night. She was pretty beat up. This was pinned to her jacket. Your names are on it."

Claire took the envelope, and tore it open.

Peter looked over her shoulder as she read it aloud.

**Peter and Claire,**

**A little present, from the two of us, to the two of you. **

**We're really not bad people, we've just made some bad choices. **

**We're going to be different now, and we hope this will show you that we're changing. **

**Maybe we'll run into eachother one day. **

**We could have a double date or something.**

**Love,**

**Adam and Elle**

Claire chuckled as she folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. "We owe them…"

Peter nodded slowly. He looked up at Nathan and Audrey. "So what happens now? Nathan's press conference is going to have consequences."

Audrey nodded. "Things are going to be hard for you guys. For _everyone _with abilities. Some people are probably going to adopt a 'don't-ask-don't-tell' policy. But honestly, hiding it from the world was worse. You would have to be constantly afraid of someone finding out about you. Now, while some people may look down on you, at least you know that you can live in the open."

They all nodded.

Nathan cleared his throat. "And I'm in a position to help make political changes. To have laws that protect us, so that no one can ever do what The Company was doing again."

Audrey glanced at her watch. "Well, I have to go. It was nice to see you all again. Peter, Claire, I expect an invite to the wedding."

Peter chuckled nervously, and Claire blushed.

**Six Months Later**

Peter squeezed Claire's hand as they rang the doorbell.

Sandra Bennet opened the door, and nearly hurled herself at Claire. "Oh, Sweetie! I've missed you so much! And so has Mr. Muggles!"

The older woman released her daughter, and bent down to lift the fluffy dog into her arms. "Haven't we missed her, Mr. Muggles? Yes we have! Well don't just stand there Claire, introduce me to this guy that you're so crazy about."

Claire smiled, and turned to Peter. "Mom, this is Peter. Peter, this is my Mom."

Peter moved to shake her hand, but Sandra pulled him into a tight embrace. "Oh, no handshakes in _this _house, young man. Well, you certainly aren't hard on the eyes, are you?"

Claire laughed. "Mom, you can let him go now."

Lyle walked out of the kitchen, and his face lit up. "Claire!"

She hugged her brother close, feeling the lump growing in her throat. "I've missed you, you jackass."

Lyle grinned. "I missed you too, sis."

She motioned towards Peter. "Lyle, this is Peter. My…my boyfriend."

She looked at Peter, and the two of them burst out laughing. "It feels so weird to say that, doesn't it?"

Peter nodded, grinning.

Noah emerged from the kitchen, an apron over his suit. "I hope the two of you are hungry, because I made my world-famous lasagna."

Peter smiled. "We're starving."

* * *

The meal was a pleasant one, and they agreed to make it a more common occurrence now that the Bennets were living in New York.

As they rode back to Nathan's in a taxi, Peter wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Now that we have your parents' blessing, I'd like to start looking at apartments. I feel weird imposing on Nathan and Heidi like this. Although, I think they like having us as built-in babysitters."

Claire chuckled. "Probably, but that sounds good to me."

Peter ran a hand through his rapidly growing hair. "Nathan has offered me a job. It's nothing big, but it's a decent salary, and I'd like the opportunity to work with my brother."

She nodded. "What would you be doing?"

He played with one of her curls, loving the feeling of the silky strands between his fingers. "I'd basically be his publicist. Take phone calls, release statements, set up interviews, all that kind of stuff. I don't have a lot of experience, but I think he likes the idea of a publicist he can trust. His _last _publicist leaked some top-secret information to the _New York Times™_, and Nathan had to fire her."

Claire nodded. "Can I get a job, too?"

Peter grinned. "Didn't I tell you? He's looking for a new secretary, too."

She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

**Epilogue:**

Nathan's revelations led to the government putting new laws into action that would protect people with abilities.

Unfortunately, opposing laws were also presented.

Nathan was instrumental in crushing a bill that would have forced everyone with an ability to register with the government.

He became very popular, and won his party's presidential nomination with almost no trouble at all.

* * *

Adam and Elle married, and had a baby within two years of their escape from The Company.

They named the baby Peter.

* * *

Angela was sentenced to life in prison for her crimes against humanity. She died in prison.

* * *

Peter and Claire married three days after Claire's twenty-first birthday.

Claude walked her down the aisle, Nathan was Peter's best man, and Noah and Lyle were groomsmen.

It was the happiest day of Claire's life.

* * *

Six months later, they announced to their families that they were expecting their first child.

Claude smacked Peter upside the head, and then patted him on the back when Peter referred to him as 'Grandpa Claude'.

* * *

Eight and a half months later, Claire gave birth to twin boys. They named them Isaac and Zach.

* * *

It had been a long journey, with lots of tears and heartache. But in the end, it was all worth it. Peter and Claire were together, they were happy, and they were safe….

…For now….

* * *

**__**

So that's it, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the outcome of the story.

I'll hopefully begin posting my next Paire fic in the next few hours!

I'd still love to hear what you thought of the ending, the story as a whole, etc. So drop me a final review?

Pretty please?

You guys have been amazing, and I'm honored to have you reading my lowly fanfiction.

One final thing:

I don't own Heroes, or any of the characters.

They belong to the brilliant Tim Kring, and NBC. Lucky bastards…

Love you all!

Stella

* * *


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